DC’s Capitol Fourth Concert Expected to Go On Despite Heat Wave

27:55Of course, we have work to do, but we should celebrate the 250 years. Megan, why is it, do you think, that Democrats are so reluctant to say that they are proud to be American. And maybe some of them won't say what Ro Khanna just said. I think when you have spent the last couple of years being told that you are dumb or libtards or you don't, that the commander in chief and the leader of our country doesn't like you, doesn't want you around, and any sort of criticism towards Trump is all of a sudden being unpatriotic, I think that's hard for people to swallow. A lot of people have fought in the military who are Democrats.

28:31A lot of people have been in public service. And a lot of people have a lot of pride in our country. But when someone is constantly telling you you're terrible and horrible, of course you take that personally. And of course that starts to impact the way that people feel overall. So I think that, you know, to Arlette's point about being divisive, if the president wants people to come together, he needs to stop criticizing half the country. Half the country are not Republicans and don't agree with them, but that doesn't mean they don't believe in democracy and believe in the foundation of our country.

28:57And Ashley, I mean, there are a lot of ways to show patriotism. And I think for a lot Democrats. They feel like being able to critique the country is part of that picture. I want to play, this is New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani giving his own Independence Day speech and kind of presenting an alternative vision than what we are hearing from the White House, at least according to him. Listen. At every moment in our past, those who led through exclusion and isolation have tried to win power and enrich themselves by turning us against one another. Division is the oldest trick in politics and the cheapest.

29:37But time and again, including 250 years ago, those forces of division have been vanquished by the forces of progress. He's sitting behind George Washington's desk. Even the fact of delivering the speech, what do you make of what he had to say in the critique implicit in there of Trump? I'm actually wondering if he's going to run for president in 2028 is actually what came to mind. He can't. He's a naturalized citizen. But that is true. But I listen, I think that first of all, I think that poll is probably people voting not necessarily about America, but just the fact they don't like the president.

30:15I think that most of our country really loves what we have. And I actually want to take it a little bit higher and say it's been so fun to watch all of these World Cup people come to the United States and actually get so excited about our country, whether it's the air conditioning or ranch dressing or whatever it is. I mean, that to me, sometimes because we do live in the greatest place on earth that we take advantage of what we have. And so I think that if people, whether the Republicans or Democrats, had the option to live elsewhere, they wouldn't. They're probably just mad because of it's Trump.

30:52All right, ladies, stay with us. We've got more to talk about. President Trump made a guest appearance on the Second Lady's podcast, but he took some swipes at past presidents while sitting in on Storytime with Usha Vance. That's next.

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31:43Do you have any time to read for fun these days? So I end up reading mostly newspapers. I usually read stories about myself. That's President Trump with Second Lady Usha Vance on her podcast, discussing his reading habits while reading from a children's book about former presidents and the sports they enjoyed. He also took the opportunity to take a jab at former President Obama. There's a picture of each Jimmy as a tennis player. Barack Hussein Obama as a basketball player. I don't know if he's a good basketball player. I tend to doubt it. Actually, his favorite sport is golf. Oh, is that right?

32:23Yeah, but he won't be in the Masters anytime soon. All right, our panel's back with us. I'm, yeah, great, great lesson for the kiddos there. Let's go ahead and take a swipe at your predecessor. He did make fun of himself, too. I mean, I actually think that that showed a little bit more. I'm going to give him credit where credit's due. Obviously, I don't like the criticism of former presidents to children, but he's kind of nice. But? But it was fine. It was fine. It was fine. I mean. It was fine. You're giving me a dirty look. I mean, I just don't understand why we were talking to children about other people being terrible at sports.

32:58And he said a lot of things. But he also made fun of himself, too. I mean, and also the fact that he's admitting that he doesn't actually read and he just reads newspapers. And it's probably just clips that people put in front of him. Also, I'd like to take note of the Oval Office and how terrible they have decorated it. Everybody used to make fun of George Bush saying he didn't read, and I still argue that he was one of the toughest presidents ever to read. All right, let me play. This is one of the more strange things about President Trump, which is that whenever he's asked about Bill Clinton for some reason, he doesn't criticize him.

33:29Listen to this. And then you have President Bill Clinton ran on a special jogging track. He had a little track built for him at the White House. I don't see myself doing that, I don't know. But he actually was a nice guy. I like Bill Clinton a lot.

33:50Megan, isn't that odd? It is odd, but it's just, repeatedly he's done this. I mean, I don't know how you criticize someone that balanced the budget and left a surplus for people. So when you're just adding more money to our deficit every day that you're in office. So it's odd, but I also think it's the New York, you know, he thinks that Bill Clinton is like this royalty in New York now. I know he's from Arkansas, but - In the before times, right? Or before Trump was, you know, running MAGA, right? He was, I believe, at Chelsea Clinton's wedding. So, I mean, they go back pretty far. I mean, yeah, there could have been some, you know, personal interactions, personal relationship, friendship between the two of them.

34:28And so perhaps that's what has kept him from going on the attack against Bill Clinton. I mean, obviously, Trump is not afraid to attack his predecessors in any way. but for some reason it's this one that seems a little bit out of bounds for him. All right, I'll give Ashley on the self-deprecation. For this clip that I'm going to play for you, this is what he said, one of his, I guess maybe his fears about what might happen as president. Listen. He was our heaviest president and I have to be careful because I don't want to supersede his record and a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen.

35:06And for all of you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape, right? Like you. You're in such good shape. That's one the kids can take home and listen to, I guess. But he was making fun of kind of everybody. Anyway, obviously he does this. I don't know if we, I mean, we can't hate absolutely everything he does. Remember last night we were talking about, what were we talking about? Oh, the 78 degrees for New York. and we can't criticize people all the time. Like I'm not going to criticize the mayor for saying Cupid 78 degrees. That is very warm now. I know but he's trying to wait to lose weight.

35:43You can sweat it out. So you just wait. I should say it's William Taft. This is who he is afraid of being compared to. Yeah and he eats a lot of McDonald's and Diet Coke. I mean it's well known that he doesn't have a great diet so he should be concerned about that and we are having a heat wave here so it is concerning. Yeah so you know today Pope Leo actually accepted this award, the Liberty Medal from the U.S. National Constitution Center. And, you know, Pope Leo, President Trump, they've been kind of going tit for tat a little bit over the last few months, particularly when it comes to the issue of immigration.

36:17And the Pope had a message for America, but perhaps also for the President. Listen. This historic anniversary presents us with the opportunity to reflect once again on the nation's founding principles in the hope that America will remain ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave. You know, this coming from the first American pope, I think makes it very significant. But I think the dynamic also that this pope has not backed down and neither has the administration. J.D. Vance, who's a converted Catholic, firing back at the Pope as well. At what point, do you think they're just gonna continue going down this road with the head of the Catholic Church indefinitely?

37:09I do think that they will continue to be at odds of this. It doesn't seem like Pope Leo is willing to back down in any way because the way that he speaks about immigrants is the way that he believes that Christians should approach immigrants and people from other places. And it just doesn't seem like either President Trump or J.D. Vance are willing to deviate from their positions to kind of stop this back and forth between the two. Megan, what do you make of J.D. Vance? At one point he said, I hope the Pope has learned something from our back and forth about immigration. Again, he converted to Catholicism just a couple years ago.

37:48What do you make of his decision to kind of take him on like that? I mean, I just don't think that J.D. Vance should be criticizing our pope. I think it just shows a lack of history here. But I also, in the remarks that that pope gave, he never mentioned Jesus. He talked about being a bully and how that's wrong and reminded people that we're a land of immigrants and that we could go back to that. And so I do think that the pope is not going to back down. He's not going to back down to J.D. Vance. He's not going to back down to Trump. And I just, I think the pope's message here is that maybe more peace and getting along and not being so divisive is what we should be looking forward to in the next 250 years.

38:21And I think that's the message that he was trying to convey today. Well, I just think, I think it's ridiculous that a pope and the president are fighting on, you know, social media, no matter who it is. But I also think that, listen, we've been getting in trouble by the pope for decades. George Bush got in trouble over Iran and Afghanistan, I mean, over Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean, this is something that the popes do believe in, which is Christianity, faith, you know, spirituality. But I do say we are a country of immigrants. But I think the key there is the president's job is to make sure that we are a land of legal immigrants as well as safety.

38:57So there is a role for both of them there. Thank you all very much. Breaking news for us. An intense manhunt continues for the person who set off a bomb in a luxurious Monaco. There are major clues in the case, all having to do with a disguise, the image that's led to a worldwide alert. That's next.

39:25In our world lead today, Interpol issued a red notice. That is a worldwide law enforcement alert for a Ukrainian woman that they say is the main suspect in Monday's bombing in Monaco. The attack seriously injured a woman and a 13-year-old child, as well as a Ukrainian-born oligarch believed to have been the intended target. Prosecutors initially said that surveillance footage appeared to show a heavily built man in dark clothing. But as CNN's Nick Payton Walsh reports, investigators soon learned that the suspect was actually a woman. An extraordinary twist in the tale of a bombing of a millionaire in a place of luxury where absolutely none of this is meant to happen.

40:06Monaco's prosecutors announced today they were seeking this woman, Anastasia Berezovska, aged 39, Ukrainian but resident in Germany, as prime suspect in the bombing of this Monaco residential building, where this man, Ukrainian millionaire Vadim Yermolayev, and a woman and child were critically injured by a bomb hidden in a shopping bag. It all comes down to this individual caught on CCTV. TV. Prosecutors said they twice scouted the scene with the shopping bag that carried the bomb both two and three days before the bombing. But on the day before, they didn't. And instead, the exact same route was walked bag in tow by this woman.

40:52It was then noted that on June 28, 2026, the only day for which no observations had been made by the individual wearing the baseball cap, a woman followed the same route around the site of the explosion. Her route was the same as that of the individual wearing the baseball cap, and her behavior was similar when she was near the site of the explosion. This led to the conclusion that this woman, who had dark brown hair, was heavyset and had a prominent tattoo on her right arm, might be the same person who had planted the explosive device. The rest was easier in a place where there is a police officer for every 70 residents.

41:30There's not much other crime to solve and a third of the residents are millionaires. Her rental car traced back to Germany where she lived and an Interpol red notice issued. The why? Still an issue. Why Yermelayev? Why the half-sophistication? A homemade remote-controlled bomb and a suspect who got themselves filmed on scene. Resident in Monaco about five years, Yermelayev had no obvious links to the war in Ukraine. This apparent failed hit, rattling a place sought for the luxury and tranquillity that beams off the waters around it. Abby, some outstanding questions here and clearly prosecutors.

42:10Keen to work out if she functioned on her own or if there were other perpetrators. It's a sophisticated device to some degree, remote controlled but homemade too. And I think there are many wondering as well if indeed somebody else ordered this apparent hit, Abby.

42:30Welcome to The Lead. I'm Abby Phillip in for Jake Tapper today. This hour, from Arizona to South Dakota, New York and D.C., CNN is going big, counting down to July 4th. We're live where the extreme heat is causing problems and other spots where the party is going strong. Plus, why a combat veteran is calling this holiday weekend his Sweet 16 when he told Jake Tapper about his incredible athletic achievement after surviving an IED attack in Afghanistan. Also, what sources tell CNN about the U.S. warning to Iran about a plot to kill its top negotiators? What if it actually played out? We'll have the new reporting and get into the implications.

43:13Plus, the star-studded wedding going down right now at Madison Square Garden for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, drawing in glammed-up guests including Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Selena Gomez, and many, many more.

43:35The lead tonight, America 250 feels like 250 degrees. the scorching triple-digit heat wave has now turned deadly. We are learning that a 68-year-old man in Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, has died as a result of heat exhaustion after trimming bushes yesterday. The heat continues to endanger millions of Americans right now, most especially those celebrating Independence Day events outdoors. Earlier this afternoon in D.C., President Trump's Great American State Fair shut down as temperatures reached the triple digits and the heat index soared well above that. We will reopen at 5 p.m. Please refer to 3-2-2.

44:1750 social media for updates. Please proceed to the nearest exit. Philadelphia's Independence Day parade was also canceled. The heat is breaking records from D.C. to Boston, straining electric grids as people try to cool off inside air conditioning. And the worst is not over. It will persist through tomorrow, July 4th. We've got a team covering all of this across the United States. CNN's Brian Todd is on the National Mall in Washington, and CNN's Jeff Seleney is over at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where President Trump will speak later tonight. Brian, starting with you, the Great American Fair just reopened not that long ago in the last hour.

44:56But are people there, or are they avoiding the heat and the sun and the area? Well, Abby, they just opened this back up to people about an hour ago, and there were a lot of people who came back. Kind of surprisingly, there was a huge line of people from this checkpoint extending all this way, and despite this pounding, oppressive heat, they came back at about 5 o 'clock Eastern time to get back into the fair. They were trying to get onto that Ferris wheel. Now, that Ferris wheel, I can see it moving now. It just started to get back in operation, but for a long time, there was a long line of people there for the Ferris wheel, and they weren't getting on.

45:31because there weren't any workers. Now it's in motion. But we've got to point out, those Ferris wheel cars are not air conditioned. It is punishing heat inside there. This is, you know, where people are using any means possible just to try to get a break from it. This is a unit of the DC Fire Department called Fan Team 1. And this is basically, this is what they're doing. This is a large fan surrounded by about 10 nozzles of water. And people are just standing under this, just getting sprayed and doused. When this line was extending all down here, it was a real relief for these people as they were standing in line to get back in.

46:04But people have been streaming back in. D.C. and law enforcement officials, White House officials telling us they are really concerned about the heat tomorrow. One official said no amount of water is going to fix this, and they do expect a lot of heat-related calls. I got some information a short time ago from D.C. fire and EMS. They said they had 44 patient contacts inside the state fair there before it shut down at about 1 p.m. Eastern time. 44 patient contacts with DC fire and EMS. They did not have a breakdown as to how many of those were heat related, but 44 contacts. They had 11 people transported.

46:40Of those 11 people transported, seven of them had to have advanced life support. So that's some of the numbers you're getting about. You can imagine that most of those had to be probably heat-related. Here is also what we can show you, the security component here. There are National Guardsmen, U.S. Marshals, outside deputized law enforcement personnel here. CNN sources telling us that drones are going to be operational tomorrow. Snipers are going to be on the roofs of some of these buildings. There will be anti-drone technology at play, even nuclear detecting advices. As far as the protection of the president is concerned when he speaks, there are going to be structures that will block the view of the president from certain buildings here.

47:20There will be bulletproof glass surrounding the president when he speaks. So all sorts of precautions are being taken here security wise and heat wise. But again, they are expecting a lot of heat related calls tomorrow. A key question, Abby, how many people are going to venture out on the mall? Fourth of July is usually the day when people come out all day long. Tomorrow, that's a dangerous idea. Yeah, it's going to be punishingly hot both both today and tomorrow. And Jeff, you know, as Brian just said, the question of how many people will venture out is one that we know President Trump is concerned about.

47:54He's planning not one, but two big speeches, one today where you are and another one tomorrow. So what are you hearing from the White House about what he's expected to say tonight and then also tomorrow? Does he plan to adjust any to the reality of the really punishing weather that's pounding the East Coast right now. Abby, at this hour, the White House has given no indication that there are any changes to the President's plans tomorrow evening. He has just left the White House and he'll be making his way here to Mount Rushmore for his speech tonight on the eve of the 4th of July. But of course, the speech tomorrow on the National Mall is the culmination of his celebration of American 250.

48:37He has talked about this since the day he came back into office. He has talked about this moment in American history. That is exactly why he wanted to return here to this magnificent backdrop of President Washington and Jefferson and Roosevelt and Lincoln. Of course, President Trump wants to cast himself in that same sort of moment of history. But he also has a more urgent task ahead of him, and that is successfully completing this America 250 celebration, which he has made in some respects largely about him. This has become a presidential vanity project of the highest order. So we will see exactly what he says this evening.

49:17I am told that he wants to talk about American exceptionalism. We're looking at live pictures, Jeff, as you're talking of the president stepping into Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. And I should note, this is the new Air Force One that he first took out on the road earlier this week, a gift from the government of Qatar. But the president on his way to where you are, Jeff, sorry to interrupt you, you can continue. Right. And Abby, he is going to fly that new Air Force One with that red stripe, that gold stripe directly here over Mount Rushmore. We are told that the thousands of people here are going to get a flyover from the president before he lands at Ellis Air Force Base and makes his way here to deliver a speech.

50:01And in addition to giving a speech. She is also going to be watching a fireworks show here. So clearly he loves every moment of the trappings of this. But a bigger question again, there is concern and worry inside the White House about how the events tomorrow will go. It could always be blamed on the heat, and that is a very valid excuse if there is a smaller crowd. But for now, at least, we know the president likes the show to go on. That starts here tonight at dusk. Abby. All right, Jeff and Brian, thank you both very much. Let's bring in Tim Naftali, CNN presidential historian and former director of the Nixon Presidential Library.

50:40Tim, there's a viral tweet going around that says this can't be the same heat George Washington was wearing a wig in. So in that spirit, can you set the scene for us? How were George Washington and the founding fathers feeling 250 years ago today, on July 3rd, on the eve of a really momentous occasion, the day before the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence? Well, 250 years ago in Philadelphia, they were editing. they cut Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence by a quarter on July 3rd. By the way, on July 2nd, the day that John Adams always felt should be celebrated as our Independence Day, the Continental Congress had voted for the resolution of independence.

51:38But of course, the Declaration itself took a couple of days of editing and wouldn't be formally approved until tomorrow. 250 years ago. George Washington, however, had a very different July the 3rd. George Washington was here in New York City, and George Washington was overseeing the defense of New York City. On July 2nd, 9 ,000 or so troops, British troops, had arrived from Halifax. They landed on Staten Island. And George Washington had intelligence that the British were also sending thousands of troops from across the Atlantic. So on this day, 250 years ago, George Washington was thinking about defending that independence that the Continental Congress was just about to declare.

52:25So take us back again now to 1976. This was when America turned 200 years old. Gerald Ford was the president. He was in the White House. What was that celebration like? Like, what was the message that he gave to the American people? And what do you expect from President Trump tomorrow? Well, Gerald Ford was a great healer. America was very fortunate that Gerald R. Ford was the president at the time we were healing after Watergate and Vietnam. He was an institutionalist. He loved this country deeply. He was a veteran. He had served this country well in World War II. And he focused America's celebration on all of us, on communities.

53:18Indeed, the Bicentennial Commission had really promoted the idea that Americans should celebrate their freedom in their homes, in their towns, in their cities. This was a national evocation, a national celebration, but in many ways it was a community and local celebration. Gerald Ford made it about us, not about himself. Fifty years later, the president of the United States is going to commune with great big statues of his predecessors. And one can only hope that he takes the opportunity to remind Americans, all of us, that this is not a celebration of one person's birthday. It's not a celebration of a government.

54:01It's a celebration of a big idea, of a series of big ideas that led to a project that continues to make us as free, as democratic as possible. That's what we celebrate. And 50 years ago, we celebrated it in local spaces. And tomorrow, keep cool, try to celebrate in local spaces with your friends and your family and your community. Speaking of hot July's 4th celebrations, President Zachary Taylor knew about that all too well. In 1850, he attended festivities at the newly dedicated grounds where the Washington Monument would be erected, and it was sweltering that day. He reportedly ate cherries and iced milk, and then he ended up dying five days later.

54:49That's not exactly the analogy that we want on this day, but it is a moment in our history, is it not? Abby, it's a reminder that you should be careful how you hydrate tomorrow. By the way, people disagree over exactly what killed Zachary Taylor. We know that he didn't die of poisoning, which is one of the theories. But he may have died of cholera in any case. He got very sick after a very hot July the 4th and a few days later was dead. So be careful tomorrow. Yeah, I mean, that's a very real message for so many people. I'm chuckling only because, you know, we want to keep things on a positive note, but we also want people to be safe.

55:38So stay cool, stay hydrated. Tim Naftali, thank you very much for that history lesson. We appreciate it. Happy for it. Thank you. The big buzz tonight, the wedding going down right now at Madison Square Garden between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. We've been watching a slew of stars arrive at the venue, but we're learning about what's happening inside of Madison Square Garden. The new reporting is coming up next.

56:11In our pop lead, it's a love story. And last hour was when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey reportedly said yes. At a white veil occasion that's being kept tightly under wraps inside of Madison Square Garden. I want to bring in CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. Elizabeth, this is the Super Bowl. Everything has changed now that Taylor and Travis have tied the knot, right? I see what you did there, Abby. And look, it is a cool summer for those of us outside because it's over 100 degrees. But I have to tell you, behind me in Madison Square Garden, the blank space of the arena has definitely been transformed.

56:51Okay, that's enough puns. I swear I will stop now. But the wedding, according to our reporting, is underway. Just about an hour ago is when we saw all the black SUVs coming in behind me. As you see, 7th Avenue is completely shut down. Taylor Swift might be the only person in the world who could get streets to shut down for her private wedding. Now, we have seen stars from Benson Doon, who opened for her Eras tour, to Hugh Grant coming in. I don't know if you can hear behind me, but there's some Swifties here who are chanting Taylor, Taylor. And before, they were singing Love Story. So for everyone who was skeptical and said, this cannot happen at Madison Square Garden.

57:33And how could the world's biggest romantic get married there? Our reporting was right. I had heard from the beginning from a source that was invited to the wedding that this was happening July 3rd in New York City. And we now see that this is really happening. After all of her lyrics of heartache and heartbreak and ups and downs that the Swifties have stuck by her side, Taylor has finally had her fairy tale ending. And right behind us right now, she could literally be walking down the aisle, Abby. It's pretty extraordinary. I mean, the middle of New York City, but perhaps having one of the most private events that one could have, that money can buy, let's put it that way.

58:14Elizabeth Wagmeister, outside of Madison Square Garden. Thank you very much. Joining me now is Dominic Patton. He's the executive editor of Deadline. So, Dominic, as we've been discussing, I mean, everybody has been speculating and talking about this and asking what on earth could be happening in Madison Square Garden for, you know, the woman who created this idea of a fairytale wedding. What are the details that you are actually the most curious about? Is it the decor? Is it the guest list? Is it the musical performances? I think it's a combination of everything, Abby. I mean, I think one of the things about this is there is some historical precedent for this.

58:50the great Sly Stone, got married on stage in Madison Square Garden. Randy Savage, the wrestler, got married in Madison Square Garden. I'm not quite sure that's the appropriate one here. But I do think this plays a lot into it. And let's be honest, what fascinates me more than anything is the cultural aspect of this. This is American royalty. Certainly on the anniversary of the birth of this nation, the 250th anniversary, where we threw off the chains of royalty and monarchy, This is what our monarchy looks like. And it's very specific when you talk about, as Elizabeth did going in, some of the guests we're seeing there, et cetera, et cetera.

59:24This is that elite. There's some also corporate ones, former head of Disney, head of AMC Cinemas and various others there. You know, so I think in many ways the most interesting thing now for me and for us at Deadline is what happens next? You know, there's lots of talk that the Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, who, of course, was the title of Taylor's first big hit many, many years ago. Will they be performing? They're going to be there. Will other people be performing? There is a stage set up. We know that among the foliage. I was told by one source that, in fact, a lot of what it looked like inside was what the engagement photos the couple put out over a year ago look like when they're in that kind of magical garden.

1:00:00So maybe we're kind of working on a theme here. Then again, Taylor being Taylor, I wouldn't be surprised if she's already written a double album about how hard it is to plan a wedding when your boyfriend's watching the World Cup. But we'll see. We do know, as we reported on Deadline earlier today, that Prince William and Princess Kate did not show up, though they had talked about it. But then again, Prince William showed up on the Kelsey Brothers podcast today. So, you know, everybody's joining into this party. Royalty around the world. Yeah, I mean, it is interesting that they were on the podcast, but not there at the wedding.

1:00:33But, you know, as you mentioned, some of the names of the folks that we've seen, but we've also seen people like Hugh Grant and others. Jason Sudeikis, Abby Wambach, Roger Goodell. So actually, I've been amazed by the scope of the guest list. I mean, it has spanned beyond pop culture to sports, to business, to entertainment, you name it. Meanwhile, as you saw with Elizabeth, it's 100 degrees in New York, and thousands of New Yorkers have experienced power outages. Millions are being asked to conserve energy. Now, this is all happening while this extravagant, multi-million dollar celebrity wedding is taking place in the middle of Manhattan.

1:01:15Streets are being shut down. Do you think that that affects the kind of press and PR around an event like this? And does it potentially take away from this moment for Taylor and Travis? Oh, I would say actually completely the opposite, Abby. I would say as a former New York resident, I would say New Yorkers shrug and go. We do this stuff every day. You know, we did it when Gaddafi came in the 80s. We did it then. We did it now. We had Iranian presidents here when we were going to go to war with them. You know, New York does this all the time. In fact, you know, as one law enforcement source said to me, because the NYPD have been working off a memo they organized about a week ago off this.

1:01:56You know, there is talk of there's hundreds of NYPD officers around there. Remember, there were thousands around the Knicks being there. And I might point out, too, several members of the NBA champions go Knicks at the wedding, as are several members of the Kansas City Chiefs, which, of course, Travis is the tight end for the multi Super Bowl winners. So I think on that level, New Yorkers, I think, have an attitude of this is what it is to be in New York. This is both the griping about it, but also being proud that if they decided to get anywhere, to get married anywhere, they got married in New York and not say on Taylor's estate in Rhode Island, which had been whispered about.

1:02:29But I also think, too, it's very telling of the time. You know, we are looking at the Great American Fair down in Washington, D.C. We're looking at the political polarization. When you had Tim on before, I was thinking about, like, I remember as a kid, the only real time I spent not going to visit my family in England was the summer of 1976 when my father took me down to the river and we saw the big ships. We saw Gerald Ford's helicopter fly in. You know, this is kind of missing. So in a sense, I think for many people, this wedding has become synonymous now with an all-American celebration. And I think that's kind of what, remember, Taylor Swift is a magnificent songwriter, but she's a master marketer.

1:03:06And she knows exactly the way that this is connecting. I don't think there's going to be a lot of blowback. And if there was, the donations to various charities around the world and around America, including one by Dolly Parton and food banks in LA and others of$26 million, which, do a little fun math, is 13, Taylor Swift's favorite number, times two. That, I think, really cut a lot of good cloth with people. They're aware of what's going on, and they're aware of how to play the angles. And they're also aware that this is, and no disrespect to the John F. Kennedy Jr. miniseries of a while ago, but this is an all-American love story.

1:03:41It certainly is. Dominic Patton, thank you very much. And as for the stars' party into the night, join CNN for another celebration, A midnight countdown to the New York Times dropping the ball eight times for every U.S. time zone. Andy Cohen is going to be joined by Anderson Cooper for that celebration. Coverage is coming up at 8 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. But first, President Trump posting a brand new mock-up of the$100 bill, this time without his face. But did it include another signature look? That's next.

1:04:29In our politics lead, President Trump is now in the air, headed to Mount Rushmore as part of the celebrations marking the nation's 250th anniversary. But get this, he is not expected back in D.C. until around 4 a.m. tomorrow. CNN's Elena Trin is at the White House right now. Elena, before he left Washington, the president seemed to be teasing the country on Truth Social about some new currency. Tell us about that. That's right. You can now see this image on everyone's screens, Abby. The president posted an image of a$100 bill donning his signature. Now, of course, this comes months after we heard from the Treasury Department that they were planning to print commemorative, you know, different Treasury notes, different monetary notes that would bear the president's signature in honor of America's, you know, this very seminal 250th birthday.

1:05:24Now, look, what's not clear yet is whether or not this is actually something people are going to be seeing on their actual cash dollars. You know, anyone who's been taking out money, you haven't yet seen the president's signature. I haven't yet read to the bank, Abby, to see if it's all of a sudden started to show up. But this is something that they've been talking about for a while. And it's really interesting because you mentioned he's going to Mount Rushmore. I mean, it's similar. We've heard the president, and I know Besant even address some of this, talk about wanting his own likeness, his own image to be shown on different$100 bills, regular dollar bills in the future as well to mark this occasion.

1:06:02So not something that has actually happened, even though some in Congress have tried to push for it, but definitely something Trump sees as a fun way to mark the occasion. Yeah, and it's a piece of other things that he wants and has done, including putting his face on a U.S. passport, which as far as we know has not ever been done before by a U.S. president, a living one at least. Elena, tomorrow he's going to be back here in Washington. Tonight he is at Mount Rushmore. Speaking of things he wants to put his face on, Mount Rushmore is another one of those things. But the two speeches, first of all, why the two speeches?

1:06:42And what is going to be tonight's message versus tomorrow's message as far as you've been able to gather from your sources? Yeah, I've been speaking with some senior White House officials, Abby, and they say essentially the speech is meant to be a moment to mark this historic occasion. And he wants to talk about the founding of the United States. He wants to talk about American exceptionalism. He'll tout some of his own policies. Of course, we have to see if he actually does that because he often veers off script. So who really knows what he's actually going to say? But that is what it has been designed so far to be.

1:07:15It'll be very similar actually to the speech you're expected to hear from him on the National Mall. tomorrow as well. But of course, one thing I'm watching for is whether he makes any mention of wanting to add his face to Mount Rushmore to be the fifth president featured there. He's joked about it in the past and he has been sharing images of his likeness kind of juxtaposed next to those presidents. So stay tuned in case he mentions that as well, Abby. All right, Elena Train, thank you very much. Next for us, why a combat veteran is calling this holiday weekend his Sweet 16. Jake Tapper is back with his inspiring story.

1:07:50That's next.

1:07:56In our national lead, as Americans gather for the holiday weekend, this year's Fourth of July will also mark the Alive Day Sweet 16 anniversary for one American hero, Navy veteran Thomas Henderson, who survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan on that day in 2010. Jake Tapper spoke to Thomas earlier this week. Thank you so much for joining us right before your Alive Day. What is it like marking this day every year, especially on the 4th of July? Thanks for having me. And it's a weird one, honestly.

1:08:44It's a great day. I love America. I love that I served. I wouldn't change anything that happened. I'm just not a fan of fireworks and random explosions anymore. I know a lot of veterans who feel that way. They don't like the 4th of July. They don't like the explosions. It brings back some bad memories. And yet there is something beautiful and symbolic about the fact that your alive day is on the birthday of our nation because it's only through the efforts of men and women like you who put it all on the line to preserve our nation, to keep our nation, to fight for our freedoms that we've made it to 250 years.

1:09:30I don't know if that's how you see it, but that's how I see it. It is. I have a long lineage of military service in my family. So it's always been a special, it's always been a special day. It's always going to be a special day, you know, even no matter what my reservations are about it. People don't know this about you, probably people watching, but you've powered through your wounds and you've developed quite an athletic career through hand cycling. did you ever think that you'd be able to compete in marathons at this point in your life?

1:10:13That's no, I never, I had even not even known what a hand cycle was before 2019 when I was introduced to them through the Semper Fi in America's fund through their runners battalion program. They were gracious enough to send me a hand cycle and all the information and they hooked a coach and a athletic trainer and someone to do meal planning with. And they got me in marathon shape in a single season. And I did my first marathon in 2020. That's amazing. That's just amazing. It's America's 250th birthday. and I just wonder beyond your service, what your message to America is on the 4th of July.

1:11:10My message to America is, you know, just keep moving forward. It's always okay to ask for help. You know, that's something that in the military, they teach us push through it, work through it on your own. You know, don't. Asking for help is a sign of weakness, but I've learned in the past 16 years that it's really not. It takes a stronger person to admit that they need assistance than, you know, try and trudge through it on your own. 100%. Especially dealing with traumatic brain injury and PTSD. sometimes you need help. There's not everything that you can do and it's okay to ask. It's okay to reach out.

1:11:59The strongest people I know reach out for help, admit mistake, apologize. Those are the strongest people I know. I should note before I, before I bid you farewell that you're going to have another exciting milestone in just a few days. You're going to get married. Tell me about what you're looking forward to the most in your next chapter. Look Holding up the photo, what a beauty. You guys look great together. What are you looking forward to most?

1:12:26I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with someone who truly supports me and pushes me to get out of my comfort zone, who loves my children as much as I do and is there 100 % behind all of our backs and beside us. Thomas Anderson, happy Alive Day. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for what you did for our country. And best wishes on this Independence Day. Thank you, sir. Ahead for us, what sources tell CNN about the U.S. warning to Iran about a plot to kill its top negotiators? The new reporting is coming up next.

1:13:19In our world lead, sources tell CNN the U.S. tried to warn Iran of fears that Israel would kill mediators during negotiations a few months ago. The New York Times first reported on those warnings, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called fake news. Let's discuss with Axios Global Affairs correspondent, Barack Ravid. Also with us, David Sanger, the New York Times' White House and national security correspondent. David, there were no immediate indications that the U.S. intelligence had knowledge of a specific plot that would prompt a warning like this, but they were clearly concerned.

1:13:57What do you make of this? Well, here's what I make of it, Abby. We have seen increasingly that since the opening days of the war, when Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump were on the same page, did the attack on Iran jointly, their interests have increasingly diverged. And this is really sort of the final point of this, right? That President Trump wanted a way out, and that meant negotiating what became the 14-point plan. It's not going terribly well, but he negotiated it. And to do that he needed interlocutors in Iran, and that was the foreign minister, who's Abbas Arachi, and it was the speaker of their parliament.

1:14:46And then the intelligence community comes in and says, we're fearful that the Israelis will try to go kill these two, which would, of course, completely undercut the negotiation effort. And Barack, Netanyahu called this report fake news. But it's worth noting, you know, President Trump has said that the Iranian negotiators now are great people. I think clearly Israel doesn't share that view. What is your reporting saying about this idea that those negotiators could be at risk? So I don't say this a lot and definitely not since this war started. But in this case, Netanyahu is right. I don't think this report, I don't think this ever happened.

1:15:41As far as I know, from both senior Israeli officials and senior U.S. officials who were deeply involved in the operational side of things and had full access to all the intelligence, to the most top-secret intelligence. There was no Israeli intention to, at the time, in the first days of April, last days of March, to kill either Aragut or Kalibaf. Actually, it was the opposite. The U.S. and Israel got to some sort of an agreement that, you know, those people are, you know, because they're negotiating, those people are, you know, are sort of, you know, have sort of immunity. And I remember at the time, in real time, that the Israelis, what I heard from sources in real time is that the Israelis told the U.S., well, why would we even target Aragji?

1:16:43He's meaningless for us. We have no interest in him whatsoever. So to be honest, I don't think the story is true. David, right now Iran is holding a massive week-long funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about four months after his death. By doing so, is Iran sending President Trump a message of defiance? You know, the funeral's been long planned, and you had to assume that for somebody like Ayatollah Khamenei, who had led the country for so many years, there was going to be a major funeral. I think there are two things that are notable about it. First is a fairly sparse number of foreign leaders came to this funeral, which tells you how alone Iran is in its operation.

1:17:43right now. The second, which I think is even more notable, is that his successor and son, Moshkata, did not show. Now, we've known that he is badly injured. He's obviously the new Ayatollah Khamenei. And he has not been seen since he was given that post. And I think what everybody will be remembering this for is that he was not present for whatever reason. And, Barack, give us an update on where the negotiations stand right now between the U.S. and Iran. They're expected to pick up once this funeral is over. So I think actually those two things are very much connected because in some strange way, there was a mutual interest to the U.S.

1:18:36and Iran to keep the next few days quiet. For the U.S., obviously, 250th Independence Day. For the Iranians, this funeral. And before Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff went to Qatar for talks earlier this week, they reached an understanding with the Iranians that for the next week or so, week to 10 days, is no one's going to shoot at the other side if there are some issues in the Strait of Hormuz, because both sides wanted to keep things quiet for a few days. After the funeral, I think there are two question marks. First, if after the funeral and after the 4th of July, the Iranians will start shooting at ships in the Strait of Hormuz again, because, allegedly, there is some new arrangement of some sort of a hotline between the U.S.

1:19:34and Iran to de-conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. I have a lot of question marks whether this will actually happen, whether this hotline will actually be effective. So, number one, whether the Iranians will resume the shooting. And second, there are a lot of people who are, especially the mediators in this negotiation, the Pakistanis and the Qataris, who think that after the funeral, it will be some sort of a, you know, turning of a page for the Iranian regime, for the supreme leader, for other leaders, and that this will somehow enable more movement in the negotiations. I have big question marks about that, too.

1:20:19As do we all. David Sanger and Barack Reid, thank you both very much. We have new video just coming in to CNN. The same silver SUV that reportedly took Taylor Swift home from rehearsal events last night, then seen leaving her home this morning. It was just spotted at Madison Square Garden where wedding festivities are underway. An exciting moment for fans of the two. We're back with another party happening tonight, coming up.

1:21:00America is counting down to its 250th anniversary with celebrations happening from coast to coast. CNN's Bill Weir is in Prescott, Arizona at the world's oldest rodeo. Bill, what is going on over there? How are the celebrations kicking off? Abby, first of all, it's Prescott, Arizona. I was schooled myself. I stand corrected. And it is the world's oldest rodeo because when Trivial Pursuit came out in the 80s and Prescott was the answer to the world's oldest rodeo question, you had a town in Texas say, no, Pecos, Texas say, no, we're the world's oldest rodeo. And so Trivial Pursuit actually investigated.

1:21:39I didn't know they had a team. And they determined that this thing has been going pretty consistently since 1888. And if you love horses, it's a great place to be. But tonight, Andy and Anderson hosting this baby, sort of our midsummer New Year's Eve party, celebrating 250, slices of Americana from all over this beautiful land of ours, Sea to Shining Sea. I hope you'll join us. There may be mutton busting, Abby, which involves children and sheep. I know you're intrigued. Okay. I don't know what that means, but I am intrigued. Can't wait to hear more. Bill Weir, thank you very much. So the pre-party, it kicks off in about an hour right here on CNN.

1:22:23Independence Eve live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. The coverage begins in an hour on CNN and on the CNN app. And then tomorrow, another big show for you. Anderson Cooper is back hosting CNN's fourth in America celebrating 250. Watch it all live on CNN or you can stream it on the CNN app. And you can catch me weeknights at 10 p.m. and tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. for a fun and patriotic edition of Table for Five. Plus, we now have a streaming show on the CNN app. It's called Confessions and Obsessions. I sit down with a group of familiar faces as they reveal some things that they want to get off their chest and some things they can't stop thinking about.

1:23:08Check it out at CNN.com slash Confessions and Obsessions or on the CNN app. We're going to keep the holiday theme going on Sunday morning on State of the Union. The guests are Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. That is Sunday at 9 a.m. and noon Eastern on CNN. You can follow me on Instagram at Abby D. Philip. Follow the show on X at the lead CNN. Aaron Burnett out front starts right now.

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1:24:28Now streaming on the CNN app.