Is The Trump Administration Telling The Truth About The Latest Deadly ICE Shooting?

26:40I'm going to come to know him very well. And his behavior moving forward is what he should be judged on. And the allegations are of his past. They are disqualified nonetheless, but I think there is a real motivation, a real conviction among the people here. We're good people and want to give people that ability to transform, to be better people and improve their lives. And unfortunately, to do that, you must be truthful about your past. And what became clear through every single instance that you mentioned is that in each one of those times, Graham said, this is the last one. This is the last thing that will come out.

27:25That that was also a lie. So but I have a great deal of grace for the people of Maine that that we their hearts are in the right place. And you want those people, you want the Democrats of Maine to support you. Why should they support you? Well, what we are facing right now is an emergency, but a challenge to put forward the best candidate that we can in the short amount of period to defeat Susan Collins. How does that candidate carry on the platform, the agenda that was voted for in the primary? I know this and the voters may know this because we campaigned on it. Graham and I agree on many of the issues, Medicare for all, universal child care, putting conditions on any aid to Israel, not taking corporate or lobbyist donations.

28:11You know, there's agreement there. Voters know that it's not a new question. My website has had it up there the whole time. But we also need to find a candidate that is able to separate on a on a moral or character level that can be trusted. You know, I as the first Democrat that that really called this out with the hope that people in my own party would join me. I think that that there's a hard way to make an accusation that I didn't do what I could to try to prevent the disaster we're dealing with right now. But I also am born and raised in Maine. I come from a working class family. My father is a pastor.

28:49I'm raising my family in the same neighborhood that I lived in when I was in high school. So, you know, again, Graham and I, we're very different people, but we are also pushing an agenda platform that is aligned. And I think that makes me uniquely qualified to be the candidate to carry in the Democrats we need, but also persuade over independence and people that have voted for Susan Collins in the past. All right, Jordan Wood, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell has long been on the receiving end of President Trump's attack. So why is Trump so seemingly obsessed with her?

29:24She shares her thoughts next.

29:30I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the Chasing Life podcast. This week's guest, Dr. Marshall Leonard. He once defended goals as a major league soccer player for the New England Revolution. But now he's defending life as an emergency medicine doctor at Stony Brook in New York. I have tried to understand, can I see when a player is in flow state? Just as a spectator, can I sort of observe this in some way? You have such a unique lens on things now, both again as a former player, but now physician. Can you tell? When I'm watching the World Cup, I think that I can sort of see when a player is feeling it and is in a zone.

30:09Let your athleticism take over because you have that ability. So calm your mind, take a breath. I just say, just do it. Like Nike, just do it. Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now, wherever you get your podcasts.

30:48Get out of here. Crashers, all new Monday at 1030 on HGTV. You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account. Only Rosie O'Donnell. In our pop culture lead, Donald Trump being nasty about Rosie O'Donnell is not a new thing. It goes back quite a ways. And their animosity has been thrust back into the spotlight because not just of that moment during the summer of 2015 and the Republican debates, but more than a decade later, President Trump is still attacking the comedian, actress and former talk show host. Trump recently posted this A.I. slop on his social media platform.

31:35Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with TDS? The symptoms can be relentless. Fortunately, I'm Dr. Trump and I have a treatment plan. Let's hear what some of my patients have to say. I have been suffering for over a decade. And after listening to Dr. Trump, I can see some results. Again, that's the president of the United States posting that. And the Emmy Award winning Rosie O'Donnell is here now. Thanks so much for joining us. What's your reaction to that AI generated video sent out by the president of the United States showing you and Robert De Niro and Julia Roberts and Whoopi Goldberg, etc.

32:14Well, I think I'm in good company, number one. And number two, you know, I seem to be the, you know, obsession he can't get rid of. You know, he's obsessed with Barack Obama, and I think that's because he's innately a racist. And he's obsessed with me because I think he's innately a sexist. And I grew up not very far from where he grew up. Now, he's 80. I'm 64. But I remember what a buffoon he was and how everyone in New York had his number. He never fooled anyone. He was never a guest on my show until we had a charity drive where if a celebrity would come in sweeping with the Swifter, we would get$1 ,000 to charity.

32:56So I let him sweep my stage one day and wave to him. But I never interviewed him. I knew what he was and who he was, as did every New Yorker my age. You actually sold your homes and you left the United States because of safety concerns after Trump was reelected. You're on the Jersey Shore right now. Well, it was really it wasn't really safety, Jake. It was mental health concerns. OK, I knew that when he when he was in last time, it was very difficult for me. I have an autistic child who's 13 and I have four other children. And I know with my diagnosis of major depressive disorder, I have to stay on top of my medication and of my mental health and my physical exercise and my joy.

33:43And that I was so horrified when he got the Republican nomination. I thought if he left after reading all of Project 2025, if he got elected, we would have to go. And I never thought that before in my life. I was never someone who would, you know, announce that to the press. I kept it very quiet. I did it for my own safety and my child's safety. And you're back in the United States right now, we should know, because ahead of your one woman show, Common Knowledge, which opens off Broadway for a limited run starting July 22nd. It is a personal story about your move to Dublin, Ireland with your youngest child.

34:25What has that move been like? Do you have any regrets about leaving or is was it clearly the right decision? It was very clearly the right decision. The people of Ireland are so unbelievably welcoming and kind. And I have had nothing but love from everyone. And one cab driver was a Trump fan. And when I got in the car, he said, are you Rosie McDonald? You're the reporter that hates Trump. I said, well, close, sir, but not exactly. But yes, that's I'm I'm who you think, you know, he's the best president in the world. I said, you're going to have to shut up or pull over. Those are your two options at this point, you know.

35:05But everyone else in this country has been like, I'll be at a pub with my family and friends and somebody will come over. I just like to buy you a paint, Rosie, because I hate him, too. And I'm like, well, thank you very much. I appreciate your understanding. Before, I mean, you note that you called it an obsession. It is clearly unusual how much he posts about you. Before he posted that AI video, he posted these cartoon images of you with an image of himself in each of the thought bubbles and the caption, she is obsessed. She is, there's a question mark after she. Well, he also called you a threat to humanity.

35:46Yeah. Said you should remain in the wonderful country of Ireland if they want. And he said he was giving serious thought to taking away your citizenship, which I'm not sure he's legally allowed to do. Why is he still so fixated on you? You're being quiet in Ireland. well i'm not being all that quiet on social media you know i'm standing up for the country that i love so much and i'm calling him out at at every turn where his blatant criminal behavior in the white house needs to be addressed and you know he had a very long run of lies with the celebrity apprentice and those people who are watching and believing that it set up a cult-like status for him where his people don't care about anything he does apparently even the sexual abuse of children and uh that's a line that i never thought we would get to in this country that there could be such a mediocre man with such horrible horrible reputation could be running this great nation of ours and uh i think it's the worst thing that ever happened to the united states and if we don't wake up soon.

36:56It's going to be too late. When you posted about leaving the U.S., you said you might return when, quote, it's safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America. Does that mean that when Trump leaves office, presumably January 2029, you'll come back or it depends on who wins the election in 2028? Yes. Well, I don't think, Jake, that he is going to survive that long. All the medical doctors that you can get accurate opinions of what's happening to him because his demise is visible and apparent to everyone who is not willfully blind. I mean, he called Zelensky Putin. He makes the kind of mistakes that you would forgive at Thanksgiving dinner, but you would never let grandpa cut the turkey because it might be dangerous because he doesn't know what he's saying.

37:49Don't forget he referred to the Islamic Republic of Japan, I think, as well. Correct. I mean, we can sit here and name them. There are so many obvious understanding of his dementia and how it's taking over. And I know there are millions of Americans who have lived through parents and loved ones going through exactly what he's going through. And everyone just sits around and goes, fo de o do do, you know, and I don't understand it. I think my displeasure with the Democratic Party's attack of him and the urgency by which they need to break the glass in case of emergency. It is an emergency. It's not like fascism might come here.

38:29Fascism has already arrived. So the one woman show is Common Knowledge starts July 22nd off Broadway. And then later in the summer, you're also going to be substitute hosting on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Rosie O'Donnell. So great having you. Thank you so much. And thank you, Jake. Appreciate it.

39:13the closest U.S. ship to Iran as it sails the Arabian Sea. CNN's Pamela Brown shares with us right now a firsthand look at the mission of these warships. She also spoke with the commanding officer responsible for the safety of 20 ,000 people both on deck and below, and even in the skies above the disputed Strait of Hormuz.

39:36One fighter jet after another takes off from the USS thus Abraham Lincoln. Overnight missions amid rising tensions with Iran. We're in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, aboard a ship President Trump says has been attacked more than 100 times since the conflict began. You know, the Iranians were looking for opportunities to attack this ship. I think we're very well defended. They don't get close. Earlier, we watched as missiles were prepped and loaded onto these fighter jets. The mission, as real as it gets. I want to show you these symbols right here. These are drones right here that this fighter jet has taken out during this conflict that started five and a half months ago.

40:24These are missiles that have been taken out just by this fighter jet alone. With the Lincoln under constant threat of attack, it's guarded by Navy destroyers for protection. On a chopper headed to the USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. destroyer high above the Gulf of Oman, we get our first look at vessels headed toward the Strait of Hormuz. See, we've got five vessels so far. Our secret area has five. They get back right here. Turn around. Now, see, this ship right there passed by. That's got the sixth ship you see. The traffic is lower now as tensions rise again in the Gulf. Officially, the Navy reports 20 vessels around the strait as we head to our destination.

41:12The warship, they say, is at the tip of the spear. We are the closest Navy ship to Iran right now. Correct. You're right on what we call the picket line, the firing line right now. So if Iran were to attack the U.S. naval forces, we'd be the first ones they'd be attacking. But don't worry. Our radars are working. Our guns work. You have a lot of well-trained folks down below. Threats are part of life out here. If you don't obey my order, you will be targeted. Like when Captain Mahan led this ship through the Strait of Hormuz in April. Radio transmissions between the U.S. and Iran were released by Iran state media.

41:48Mahan confirmed to CNN an exchange did happen. I'm ready to open fire on them without any warning. And so the Iranians were threatening. Correct, yeah. They told us, hey, you have to turn around within 30 minutes to roll up a fire on you. We kept going, obviously. Had to go through what was potentially a minefield to get there, which was not something I had in my bingo card for things I would do in my life, go through a minefield. The firepower aboard this ship is everywhere. We have this as our last-ditch defense. Captain Mahan calls the shots from a command center several decks below. Just with Iran being to the north, you're always on the lookout for all kinds of threats.

42:24Have you had any close calls? My flight really starts at that Iranian coastline and comes all the way back. I don't wait for it to come to me. I go out and I try to meet that threat. Back on the Abraham Lincoln, it can be tough to keep spirits high for the nearly 5 ,000 people here. Because of its limited port visits, the Navy considers this deployment among the longest consecutive days at sea for any aircraft carrier. I mean, I haven't stepped off the ship in the year 2026. Most have been here more than three months, under constant threat and change and missing their families. What kind of toll does that take on you personally?

43:04It's tough. I had my first kid born in February, so I'm very excited to get home and meet her. You've never met your daughter? Nope. She was born right around when this conflict started. She was born February 6th, so I was able to get on FaceTime, watch the birth, talk to my wife before everything went down. And you don't know when you'll be able to do that? Nope. We'll see. I mean, hopefully home soon. But unfortunately, it's a common story on the ship, I think. You know, getting the Navy, this is what you kind of sign up for. Pamela Brown, CNN, USS Abraham Lincoln. And our thanks to CNN's Pamela Brown.

43:41President Trump takes aim at another group, officials who work on elections. and this time it's a bipartisan group, and they're meant to keep elections safe. You're voting safe. Those details next.

43:54In the U.S., there's a break-in every 26 seconds. But when intruders step near, SimpliSafe Home Security steps up. Stop. This is SimpliSafe. Police are on the way. Using AI alerts, U.S.-based live agents help deter break-ins. SimpliSafe, no long-term contracts. Save 50 % on your new system with professional monitoring at simplisafe.com slash Spotify or with promo code Spotify. Outdoor deterrence requires a SimpliSafe Active Guard outdoor protection plan starting at$49.99 a month. Visit simplisafe.com slash licenses for alarm license information. Tennessee 2012. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

44:27This hour with less than four months until the midterm elections, President Trump just fired the leaders of an agency that helps local officials to keep their elections safe. Why? Why would a president who constantly talks about wanting to secure elections do this now? Plus, the family of Nolan Wells pleading for answers tonight after the 18-year-old died on a July 4th boat trip with friends. His parents have now commissioned an independent investigation to try to figure out what happened. Their attorney, Ben Crump, on the lead ahead. Also, a mid-flight nightmare. A man was partially sucked out of a Ryan airplane after the window next to him broke.

45:04Passengers sitting nearby had to hold him down to stop him from being fully yanked into the sky. We're going to have those terrifying details this hour. And it's a royal reunion, years in the making. King Charles hosting not just his son, Prince Harry, but also Meghan and their two children. Earlier today, the first time the king has seen that family in four years. What we're learning about the visit ahead.

45:30The lead tonight from the man who brought you January 6th, a new pattern of aggressive moves, raising alarm and questions about what he's going to do this October. However, President Donald Trump last night fired the leadership of the Election Assistance Commission. That's the federal agency that provides funding and security guidance to election officials, and it certifies voting equipment. It's one of the few remaining entities of its kind because the Trump administration has already gutted the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. CNN requested comment from the White House and the EEAC.

46:06Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who is the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, reacted in a statement to the firing saying, quote, removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary step that raises profound concerns about political interference in the institutions that support our elections. Removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections. And of course, the question, of course, raises profound concerns about what President Trump has planned. This is just one piece of a larger puzzle in Trump's election-obsessed words and actions.

46:46First of all, you still typically can't go a week without Trump saying falsely that he won the 2020 election. He did not. Here he was just two days ago. I've been right about everything, and I have been for a long time. That's how I got to be president three times. That's how I won three elections. They did very well in the second one, won it. It was a rigged election. He did not do very well in the second one, won it. He lost it. He did very poorly. It was not a rigged election. He continues to lie about this. And remember how people drunk on those false election conspiracies behaved. A violent attack on the U.S.

47:28Capitol on January 6, 2021, that resulted in five people dead, one police officer who died immediately afterward, four other police officers who took their own lives after experiencing that trauma, and more than 140 law enforcement wounded or maimed. The president was looking to have the will of the American people obstructed and subverted. He wanted to stop the counting of electors. He wanted to have fake electors make him president. It's a plot that failed, but not for lack of trying. And now here we are more than five years later, and there are questions as to what he is planning for 2026 or 2028.

48:03The FBI last week ramped up its investigation into the 2020 election in Georgia by dedicating more personnel, an internal memo calling it a priority, according to a source. The seizure, let us not forget, of Georgia's Fulton County ballots and election materials. Now, that was driven by a man named Kurt Olson. Kurt Olson was a presidentially appointed director of election security and integrity. Integrity being a rather loose term, given that Kurt Olson is a 2020 election denier who was actually fined by a court for his 2022 lawsuit that falsely claimed Arizona voting machines were unreliable and subject to manipulation.

48:46Now, interestingly, last month, Olson went from the White House to the Justice Department. He's a senior attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Hmm. Now, for more pieces of the puzzle. In February, the office of the director of national intelligence under Tulsi Gabbard at the time said that they had obtained electronic voting machines in Puerto Rico back in 2025 to look for security vulnerabilities. Now Gabbard is out as spy chief, replaced by Bill Pulte, who's interim director of national intelligence. Pulte has no relevant experience in intelligence or national security, but lots of experience in being a Trump loyalist and in weaponizing the government.

49:26The president has said Pulte will investigate elections, and Pulte's now chosen chief of staff is a woman who worked on election-related issues for the Republican National Committee. Then there's Trump's plan for the U.S. Postmaster General to not deliver mail-in ballots in states that don't turn over their voter rolls. If courts don't ultimately kill this, it would put more voter data in the hands of Trump officials looking for supposed election fraud. Also, in the new book, Regime Change, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, they write, the authors, that as tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela heated up last year, President Trump taught MAGA pundit Tucker Carlson, tried to use him as a go-between between himself and then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

50:16From the book, quote, As bait, Maduro had claimed to Carlson that he could furnish proof U.S. voting machines were tampered with in 2020, a transparently calculated appeal to Trump's unfounded stolen election grievances. And he had told Carlson he wanted warmer relations with Washington, unquote. Now, since then, of course, Maduro was captured by U.S. forces. He currently sits in a New York detention center. Given that he was already willing to make false claims about Venezuela rigging the 2020 election to ingratiate himself with Trump, what might Maduro be willing to say now to get out of jail to avoid spending the rest of his life behind bars?

50:53What might the U.S. back for placement of Maduro? Delce Rodriguez, what might she be willing to say or do? Put all of this together, many government officials are wondering, concerned, some terrified, about what exactly President Trump and all the president's men are planning. We're talking about a man who on the first day of his second term pardoned the January 6 rioters, many of whom had committed violence, including beating up cops in Trump's name. We're going to continue to monitor all of this, but what happened yesterday is part of it. Let's discuss with Democratic Congressman Adam Smith of Washington State, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.

51:30Congressman, let's go to your area of expertise as member of the House, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Back in 2020 and 2021, when Trump was also clearly planning to do something inappropriate with the election, the Secretary of Defense was Mark Esper, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was General Mark Milley. Did you have any conversations with either of them at the time? And do you think the people who now hold those positions, Pete Hegseth and General Cain, would also defend the Constitution and fair elections if it came down to it? I had multiple conversations with both Secretary Esper and Chairman Milley.

52:08And look, we all three shared the concern that President Trump would try to steal the election and might use the military as part of how he would do that. So we monitored it very closely. Now, Chairman Milley, Secretary Esper, they were dedicated to the Constitution. They were loyal to the Constitution, not to President Trump. And I think they were helpful in making sure that everybody in the Pentagon understood that that was the priority. Now, I do have some confidence in Chairman Cain. I think he's a dedicated service member who would put the Constitution first. I have no confidence in Secretary Hagsath.

52:43And what's more, President Trump, as you've just outlined, across the government has replaced people who would be loyal to the law and the Constitution with people who are only loyal to him. So there is a much greater risk this time that he will use the government to basically steal the midterm elections. You note that you have trust in the Joint Chiefs Chairman General Cain. Pete Hegseth, Secretary Hegseth has spent a lot of the last year and a half getting rid of senior officers in our armed forces. He's gotten rid of generals. He's gotten rid of admirals, people who are highly respected, nonpartisan.

53:23And there is also a concern that he is replacing them with loyalists. Might that potentially play a role in whatever is being planned for September or October? I mean, absolutely. You've seen it both at the Department of Defense and also in the intel community as people have been moved around and they've been putting in loyalists. Yes, that that absolutely could be an impact. Look, the scenario you envision is they seize voting machines. They refuse to certify elections. People show up in protest and they use either DOD or DHS, you know, basically to block people from stopping this. Now, I think it's really important right now that we do exactly what you're doing, which is shine a light on this, because a stunning number of people in this country would still go, oh, come on.

54:14You know, President Trump said that doesn't happen here. And they're right. It doesn't happen here. But it does happen in the mind of Donald Trump. And he's president. We have to not have a failure of imagination here. We have to shine a light on this, prepare the courts and prepare the people to stand up and stop Trump from doing this. Last time President Trump had a vice president, Mike Pence, who was dedicated to the Constitution to the degree that Trump supporters outside the Capitol on January 6th were literally chanting, hang Mike Pence. He did the right thing. He stood up for the rule of law in the Constitution.

54:52Do you think Vice President Vance would do the same? And is there anyone in Trump's cabinet who you would trust to intervene if things went too far this year or in 2028? No, I certainly don't see Vice President Vance doing what Mike Pence did. And no, I don't see anyone in the cabinet who I would trust to do that. Loyalty has come before the Constitution, before the country. So it puts us in an incredibly dangerous position with a cabinet we cannot trust and a president we cannot trust. So, again, we really have to speak out about this and make sure that the courts and the people are prepared to stop them.

55:33Look, I still think the bulk of the country, the bulk of Republicans, for that matter, believe in representative democracy and believe in our Constitution. institution they've just deluded themselves toward and in terms of the threat that trump poses to all of that there's a bunch of different reasons for it we've talked about it okay so they don't like the democrats they don't like the left i get that but you should understand that even though trump presents himself as the one standing up against those things what he really is is an authoritarian who wants to grab as much power for himself as possible and that places our entire country at risk.

56:07And I think we need to talk about that. I know the pollsters say, you know, talk about housing, talk about affordability, talk about costs. That's what people care about, kitchen table issues. I think people care about democracy. I think people care about stopping a fascist takeover of our country. We have to make the case. And given the threat that you have outlined, we have to convince them to be concerned about it if they're not. Well, I mean, the president and his team are welcome to come on the show at any time and explain all of these things that are happening, including the firing of the Election Commission last night.

56:39I would just note that if these elections are fixed by Democrats, they're doing a pretty shitty job because Republicans control the House and the Senate and the White House and arguably the Supreme Court. Democratic Congressman Adam Smith of Washington State, thank you so much. This next one is nothing short of incredible. A man sucked partially out of an airliner. He lived to talk about it. Plus, a ministry leader and former Marine in Colorado has long claimed that an abusive stepfather forced him to kill a man. Kill a man when he was just seven years old. And that ministry leader just won the Republican nomination in the race for Colorado governor.

57:14We're going to discuss ahead.

57:19In our world lead, this story is like something out of a Final Destination movie. Those are great, by the way. But there's actually a happy ending in this one. So not exactly like Final Destination. This man is lucky to be alive. He was pulled headfirst and sucked halfway out of an airplane after the window he was sitting next to broke. This happened today on a Ryanair flight heading from Greece to Germany. CNN Aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins us. Now, Pete, how did this unfold? You know, a terrifying situation to be sure, but not actually the first time that this has happened on a Boeing 737.

57:51In this case, a passenger sitting in the window seat was suddenly pulled partway out of the airplane when the window failed in flight, exposing him to the 400 mile per hour air rushing by outside. Thankfully, fellow passengers were able to pull him back inside. Greek media reports the man suffered neck injuries and friction burns. And new video also from Greek media shows inside the passenger cabin, the window completely missing with oxygen mass dangling overhead after the rapid decompression. One more silver lining here. This happened while the jet was climbing through about 16 ,000 feet, according to flight tracking data, not at its normal cruising altitude of around 35 ,000 feet.

58:27That means the air was still marginally breathable. The pressure difference between inside the passenger cabin and outside of the airplane was much lower than it would have been at cruise altitude, which likely made the decompression of the passenger cabin much less violent than it could have been. Now comes the investigation, and one of the biggest questions is why this window failed in the first place. Greek media reports say it may have been struck by debris from one of the airplane's engines, but investigators have not confirmed that yet. If engine debris was involved, investigators should be able to determine that relatively quickly by examining the damage to both the engine and the window, the forensic damage there.

59:02They'll also scrutinize the plane's maintenance history here because there's one more detail that investigators will likely look at. The same plane returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff on a flight the night before to Sarajevo, Another sort of interesting piece of evidence here. Not totally clear if those things are connected, though. And we don't know yet why any of this happened? Well, the interesting thing here, and investigators will really look at this, is the comparison to a Southwest flight back in 2018 where a piece of engine debris, a fan blade, broke off and caused the passenger cabin to rapid decompress.

59:37A passenger sitting in seat about 8A was pulled out of the plane. She ultimately died from her injuries. The NTSB here in the U.S. is helping with this investigation. So, of course, that will be top of mind for them. Also on a Boeing 737. So we'll see if the inspections that were mandated essentially by the FAA after the NTSB's recommendation following that incident will come up again here. This could be a very interesting one. A lot of echoes to that previous incident of a few years ago. Yeah, that's just terrifying. All right, P. Monteen, thanks so much. King Charles, Queen Camilla welcoming Prince Harry, Meghan, the grandchildren in the UK today.

1:00:13Is this the start of a family truce? That's next.

1:00:21In our world leader, Royal Reunion, King Charles and Queen Camilla met with Prince Harry, Meghan, their two children today. The first family meeting in four years may be a step towards healing this rift that's lingered since Harry and Meghan stepped away. from royal life and relocated to the U.S. six years ago. CNN's Anna Stewart is in London and she has the details. Anna? Well, Jake, the king hasn't seen his youngest grandchildren in four years. We're told the king and queen hosted the Sussex family at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. There was no heads up to the press regarding this meeting, no news cameras present, and it's unlikely we'll ever get a readout from the palace.

1:01:02This was a private reunion for a family known to have deep tensions, often played out on a global stage. The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were absent from this meeting. The brothers remain estranged, according to British media reports. Now Prince Archie is seven years old. Princess Lilibet recently turned five, and this is the first time they see their grandfather since he became king. Prince Harry comes to the UK sporadically for events. This week he was here to mark the one-year countdown the Paralympic-style sporting competition, the Invictus Games, as well as other charity engagements.

1:01:38A major reason for Prince Harry not bringing his wife and children to the UK has centered around security. Since stepping back as working members of the royal family, the Sussex family no longer get a security detail paid for by the British taxpayer. Prince Harry believes the risks to their security are too high to rely on private security and has taken the Home Office to court over the issue, a case he actually lost. It's unclear what security enabled this visit. It may have been helped by the King and Queen hosting them outside of London. Speculation will be rife over that and whether the royal family rift has finally been healed.

1:02:14Jake. Thanks, Anna. I appreciate it. Demands for answers and accountability in Mississippi after the death, the suspicious death of a black teenager who went out with friends on the 4th of July and never came home. The family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, joins the lead next.

1:02:34International lead grief, speculation, racial tensions surrounding the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells. Some of the last pictures of Wells show him with a group of friends on a boat heading to Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi on July 4th. All of the people on that boat except for Nolan came home that day. In moments, I'm going to talk to the family's attorney who says Nolan's cell phone and car keys were found with the people he went to the island with, not with him. But first, CNN's Ryan Young has more on the unanswered questions about this young man's death. We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home.

1:03:16The family of Nolan Wells is pleading for answers tonight in a case rife with speculation, grief, and racial overtones. Nolan was, is the kindest soul. He never met a stranger. He loved everybody. Nolan is a person with a big heart. Details remain elusive about how the beloved 18-year-old college football player who died during a Fourth of July boat celebration on Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi. His friends returned to the dock without him, authorities said. The Jackson County Sheriff says there's an active investigation, but so far, no foul play is suspected. Still waiting on the truth to come out.

1:03:56The sheriff has not elaborated on how Wells became separated from his friends or why he didn't have his cell phone. Wells' family's attorneys speculate that Nolan's cell phone was returned with deleted text messages and that the teen's keys were also left behind with his friends. Anyone who's ever been around Nolan will tell you at social gatherings, he's taking videos, he's taking pictures. That's why we feel that things may have been deleted was because of the fact that there was nothing in either one of his accounts. We do not have the cell phone that they speak of and we've never had the cell phone, but it is to my understanding that we requested the cell phone for an extraction.

1:04:40Sheriff Ledbetter says one of the three friends who was on the boat with Wells was the first to report him missing around 11 p.m. that night. Mississippi investigators are exploring social media reports of an alleged altercation or argument that may have involved Wells, the only black man in his friend's group. We're going to work this investigation thoroughly and professionally. The Jackson County coroner told CNN there were no immediate signs of physical injury and that his body was found face down in the water close to the shoreline. The coroner has completed Wells' autopsy, but an official cause of death has yet to be determined as they are still waiting for the results of tests, including a toxicology report.

1:05:20Authorities also believe strong rip currents in the area could have potentially posed a risk. We're working towards the same goal as the family. We want a thorough investigation, and that's what we're going to continue to do until we arrive at the answers that the family deserves. Jake, I actually talked to the sheriff earlier this week, and one of the big questions is trying to find out what this timeline actually looks like. His investigators are still working on this. Of course, there's a lot of questions whether or not they've been able to talk to these friends and do a thorough investigation.

1:05:49And of course, there's a lot of chatter about that phone. But what you do hope is some of these witnesses and people who were there on this crowded island provide either some video accounts or some pictures or something that can lead to something more solid. I would love to be able to tell you here's the timeline of events and here's the timeline that separates the two groups. But that's not something that we can do right now because that's information that's been released so far. All right, Ryan Young, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Let's talk more about this troubling case with Benjamin Crump.

1:06:19He's the attorney representing Nolan Wells' family. Ben, good to see you as always. At today's press conference, the family said that Nolan's car keys and cell phone had been found not with Nolan, but with those who Nolan had been with on Horn Island. They ultimately got both items back. But why would those items not be with Nolan in the first place? You know, Jake Tapper, so many conflict and issues that caused the family concern. um obviously this conflict of what he who he left with the girl says he got back in the boat with the boys the boy said no he said that they he was going to stay with the girl and so they have a conflict both of them can't be telling the truth and if you then he said he was going to stay back on the island, then why would he leave his cell phone with them?

1:07:22Why would he leave his car keys with them? It just doesn't add up. Especially Jake Tapper, once you look at the video that's circulating on social media, but you hear Nolan in an argument saying, give me my freaking phone. What are you freaking doing? and is troubling because that's very relevant when you think about the fact that he ends up dead and they have his cell phone. Yeah. Where did that video come from? Do you know? And can you physically see Nolan or anyone else in that video?

1:08:01We think we've identified Nolan in the video. I know there are young people who were there who said that is Nolan arguing with the guys. And so what we're doing and the reason we were able to get the sound, we had people take the distortion out where they could key in on what is being said. And you said your office is starting to get videos and photos from Horn Island on July 4th, the day Nolan went missing. Can you tell us, give us any idea of how many images you're getting? Do any of them show Nolan with the group of friends that he had been with? There's a video that were there pictures that showed him there.

1:08:44And there's a video. What is very interesting is when his mother got the cell phone back, she and her sister observed that there were deleted Snapchat messages and some deleted text messages. that they said just didn't make sense because Nolan was always taking pictures of videos on Snapchat. And for there to be nothing there on Snapchat, they said it was just not what they find on his phone. And so that was troubling that people or somebody had deleted video. We don't know who. Can those messages be recovered? Is there any way to do that? you know that's what we're trying to do we all have some experts trying to recover the deleted messages to help figure this out because it's not adding up and you think about the fact that Nolan was a college football player he was a superb athlete in tip-top shape he could swim And so his family is not behind this accidental drowning that is being suggested because they're saying hello, all those people out there.

1:10:01And nobody saw him. Nobody tried to help him. It just doesn't add up. Obviously, somebody knows what happens. You also said you wanted to talk with the young man who had been with Nolan. Out of all the questions that this horrible incident prompts, what would you ask them? The biggest question is about the cell phone. If Nolan really told you he was going to stay on the island, which his family doesn't believe he would have done, why would I leave my cell phone with you? I mean, he's an 18 year old kid. And Jake, teenagers never want to be without their cell phones. Yep. I have a 16 year old and an 18 year old.

1:10:45And that is the God's honest truth. Ben Crump, thank you. Stay in touch with us about this important case. Thank you, Jake. Graham Plattner officially makes his exit from Maine's Senate race. Do Democrats running to replace him stand a chance against Republican Senator Susan Collins? Well, one of those Democrats joins me next.

1:11:10And our politics lead of Democrats are to take back the Senate. Every single battleground race this November is paramount. That is especially true of Maine, where Democrats are now jockeying to be the one to replace Graham Plattner as the Democratic nominee to take on Republican Senator Susan Collins in just a few months. Plattner announced Wednesday he will suspend his campaign following an allegation of rape. He claims the allegation is false. And then today he posted on social media a letter to the secretary of state saying that his name should be removed. Joining us now is one of the Democrats who wants to replace Plattner as the nominee, Dan Kleban.

1:11:47He's founder of the Maine Beer Company, and he ran in the primary, lost to Plattner. Dan, you ran for Senate last year before you dropped your bid, I should note, and back to Governor Janet Mills, which was interesting because she was behind in the polls. Why did you back her and not Graham Plattner, who I believe is more in line with your progressive ideology? Am I wrong? uh just one thank you for having me slight correction okay i dropped out in the fall right after our governor got in the race okay um oh that's why you did it okay yeah so um yes yeah well that's i got in look from day one from the moment i started discussing with my family whether or not i was going to run for senate the kind of the goal here was always to beat susan collins and once it became clear to me after graham Plattner got in the race, then I got in the race, and then the governor got in the race.

1:12:42I thought it was in the best interest of the party, beating Susan Collins to clear the field and let the governor and Graham Plattner have it out. Obviously, we're in a different situation now. But you endorsed Janet Mills. Why did you endorse her? I thought she was in the best position to beat Susan Collins. I had some serious concerns about Graham Plattner's character in the moment. I believe character in politics matters. I think we've seen on the other side of the aisle when you give up on character, you can go down some pretty dark and dangerous roads. And I want the Democratic Party. I think we should be a party that still thinks the character matters.

1:13:17So why do you think you're the best to take on Susan Collins? I believe I have a unique background. I am not a career politician. I've never held elective office. Instead, over the last two decades, I've worked on raising a family. I have twin 15-year-olds. I've spent the last two decades building a small business literally out of my garage. Me and my brother started a brewery, made beer company with a simple motto of do what's right. And for us, Jake, that meant from day one, we paid a living wage. We covered 100 percent of health insurance premiums. We provide for folks retirement and we give back to our community and the environment.

1:13:56And I think that we did that because I was laid off during the Great Recession. I was a victim of a rigged system and people are rightfully pissed that the system is rigged against them. I was collateral damage. But what I went out and did is I built something. I built a company to show that we can have an economy in Maine and in this country that not only rewards entrepreneurs and small business owners, but takes care of workers and our communities and our environment. I think we need more of that outside the box thinking in D.C. And frankly, Susan Collins has been there for 30 years. She's gone D.C.

1:14:26She's she is the establishment and she stopped looking out for hardworking Mainers. You've said that if elected, you would not vote for Chuck Schumer to be Senate Democratic leader. Why not? And who would you rather see as Democratic leader of the Senate? I mean, just like I think we need fresh faces in Congress, in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. And I represent that kind of fresh face as an outsider. I think we need new leadership. And so you're correct. I will not vote for Chuck Schumer as leader. Frankly, I don't know who else will throw their hat in the ring. But I want whoever it is to be someone who offers fresh ideas, because clearly what Congress has been doing over the last several decades just isn't working for hardworking Maine families.

1:15:10All right, Dan Cleavon, thank you so much. Appreciate your time. What's the name of your brewery? It's Maine Beer Company. If people want to learn more about the campaign, they can go to danformaine.com. Okay, danformaine.com and Maine Beer Company. That's the one I was interested in. My panel joins me now. Appreciate it. Ashley Etienne, we've heard from two Democratic hopefuls on the show. I don't it's it's early yet, but the decision is going to have to be made soon. Is there one candidate that you think has a better chance to win the nomination in this convention they're having and to beat Susan Collins?

1:15:44Well, I mean, I think the key is going to be they're going to have to select a candidate who can not only raise money, who can unify the progressive movement. So pull Plattner's voters to the table. But also, more importantly, I think this is what's getting lost is that person's going to have to be able to also peel off some of those independent voters. That's been Susan Collins's sweet spot cycle after cycle. She's been able to secure those votes. And I know we've been, you know, overemphasizing progressives in this particular race, but it's going to be those independent voters. So whoever the candidate is, is going to have to have that level of broad appeal, be able to raise money.

1:16:19But the other thing I would point out is this process is going to have to move quickly. Some of the lessons we learned from 2024 with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. You've got to move quickly and it cannot look like an inside job. Yeah. Emily, do you think that the Democrats have botched this so much that Susan Collins doesn't have to worry about this race anymore or the headwinds just so strong and she's she remains vulnerable? Well, any candidate will tell you that it's not over until it's over. I think that Susan Collins actually with him getting even with Graham Plattner getting out. Susan Collins has won, I think, the last election by eight points and she was already down.

1:16:55You never should count Susan Collins out. But I think that even though there are some concerns that she rightly should have because you don't know what's going to happen. I think that because of the dropping out and because of what you said in 2024, we saw what happened when you're not able to get a galvanize a campaign within, what, four or so months. That's what's something that Republicans are going to lean in on. And Susan Collins is going to be able to talk about her record delivering on behalf of the people of Maine. So, Ashley, when you look at the map of battlegrounds, the Democrats have 47 seats right now, including the two independents of caucus.

1:17:27So Democrats have to hold every seat that they have and flip for what are the four that you think are most likely to flip? You know, I'm putting some money on Texas. It's my home state. I think Tallarico is an incredible candidate. I think he's got some real talent that can be exploited to win. The question is, what is he going to do with black voters? Black voters there and across the country are suffering a huge amount of disillusionment. So I'm watching to see. He still doesn't have Jasmine Crockett in his tent, though, right? I mean, he does. He needs her support. He's making that clear. Yeah, he doesn't.

1:18:00But the key is she's already endorsed him. The second thing is she said that she's going to work on the down ballot races. So she's right in that if you work on the down ballot races and, you know, you can drive turnout that can support Tallarico, but he's got to do his own work to engage the black community. I think Ohio, North Carolina, I think those are really good peel-offs. But again, in each one of these states, black voters are going to make the difference. So the question comes back to whether or not these candidates have seriously engaged those. Only three. Okay, do I need one more? You need one more.

1:18:29You give me North Carolina, where Roy Cooper, the governor's running, former governor, you give me, you think that Sherrod Brown in Ohio can do it against the Husted and then you said Texas. What's the fourth? Where are we looking? Georgia? Is Georgia on the list? Georgia is already in there. But that's yeah, that's a that's a hold. Yeah. What about Maine? You're not saying you're not. Oh, no. I mean, there's Alaska. There's Iowa. Iowa. Big opportunity in Iowa. I think we're going to we're going to sweep in Iowa. I mean, it's it really is telling in terms of how the farmers have been incredibly hit hard by the tariffs, the policy.

1:19:07So I think I would add Iowa to that list, which which which Democratic what would same same question, like which seats that are held by Republicans right now are the most vulnerable. And do you think that there are some Republican pickups possible? I think that the only one that really is vulnerable at this point, I would say, Carolina. Republicans are even though we would love to win Georgia. Ossoff is already in that seat. Maine, Republicans are doing much better there. Ohio is a bit. North Carolina were the governors. No, no. North Carolina. He's saying North Carolina is the most vulnerable for Republicans.

1:19:39Yes. That is something that. Oh, definitely. That is something. Or Cooper is an exceptional. Do you think Democrats are. I mean, Democrats could lose potentially Michigan. We don't know. I mean, but. Yeah. And that's not something even though Republicans would like to put, you know, look for that seat, win that seat. I think the bigger energy is going to be around a place like Texas because polls show that Tallarico and Paxton are actually tied. And what Paxton has to do in this race, they're going to try to run a national race against Paxton. What he has to do is talk about the things that he did as attorney general.

1:20:11So that's the billion dollar lawsuits against Meta and Google. I wish you could talk about the fact that he was impeached. But that gives us a lot of room. And that is what Paxton is going to have to do because you're going to talk about that. Paxton needs to talk about his record because notice they're not talking about his record because he has a record to actually stand on as attorney general. So they have to deflect and talk about the impeachments and all of those other things. What he has to do is nail down each and every time they attack him on those type of things. He has to talk about how he has delivered on behalf of Texans.

1:20:43And he's done that over and over again. What's interesting in the state of Texas is I've never seen Republicans polling so low with Texas voters. You've got a situation where the president of the United States, Republican president, for the first time ever is underwater in the state of Texas. The governor is underwater. So Paxton's going to have a hard road to hoe in terms of convincing, you know, even his own base. We're fighting for independence. But I will say this, Jake, in the green room, I've heard Republicans say Kansas could be in open. Kansas could could flip. Nebraska could flip. So I think there's a lot of anxiety.

1:21:19There's a lot of anxiety among Republicans about what's possible, especially given how bad this economy is and how so many people are suffering. So ministry leader and former Marine Victor Marx won the Republican primary for governor, and he's going to square off with the state attorney general, Phil Weiser. I'm switching the question four folks, so get ready. In May, Marx sat down for an interview that has become quite notable. Let's run that to you. Do you think that you've killed people as an adult? Does it matter? Yeah, I'd say so. Why? Killing somebody is a pretty weighty thing. If someone's trying to kill you or you're in combat?

1:22:04It's still a weighty thing to take somebody else's life. I mean, it could be self-defense, it could be justified, but it's still a weighty thing. So I'm just asking you, how many people have you killed? Well, if I did, I wouldn't be telling a reporter. So that's the Republican nominee for governor. What do you think? Completely bizarre. Like, I don't understand what's going on with this guy. I mean, listen, you know, Republicans, Democrats have been running that state for over 10 years now. It's very blue. There's no possibility that this guy is going to win or is causing any problems. But the reality is this is a reflection of where the Republican Party is.

1:22:44Bizarre land. Oh, we can't. As if Plattner didn't just get out of the race. No, this guy is not going to win. The Republican hasn't won that seat in Colorado since 1998. All right. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. Yet another White House renovation. President Trump showing off some of the results. That's next.

1:23:03Our last lead started our national lead. Knock, knock. The White House is getting a much needed security update, they say. A new front door. The Secret Service says the new door is not a cosmetic update, rather a necessary safeguard. Trump posted before and after photos of the columns around the door, too, adding, quote, people are saying that the city hasn't been or felt like this in 100 years. Those people, they're always saying things. In our sports lead, Spain is advancing to the next round of the World Cup, clinching a spot in the semis after a late game-winning goal during today's match against Belgium.

1:23:35Spain's 2-1 win comes after also defeating Portugal in a nail-biter. They move on to play France now. The other two semi spots will be up for grabs mañana. Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, I'm going to talk to U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker after Trump's visit to NATO. Democratic Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut and Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts. That's Sunday at 9 a.m. and noon Eastern on CNN. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky X, and on the TikTok at Jake Tapper. You can follow the show on X and Instagram at The Lead CNN.

1:24:08If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Shabbat shalom. Aaron Burnett out front starts now.

1:24:18This is CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam, thrilled to introduce the new CNN weather app. Be prepared for anything with comprehensive coverage from real experts like me. Download the CNN weather app on iOS today. Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper. On my podcast, All There Is, we explore grief and loss in all its complexities. My mom would always say, the only way out is through. The only way out is through. There are no shortcuts. You have to feel it. Her name is Nicole Avant. She's a producer, a former diplomat, and an author. In 2021, Nicole's mom, Jacqueline, was shot to death by an intruder in her home.

1:24:59She was 81 years old and had been married to Nicole's dad, Clarence, for 54 years. How is grief different for you now than it was maybe at first? A lot of really positive memories have now taken over versus the shock and the trauma. The grief is still there, but it shows up kind of with a smile instead. Talking grief, building community. That's what the podcast is all about. This is all there is. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.