Political Shakeup Rocks UK

Breaking news this morning, a political shakeup in the UK, Keir Starmer says he is resigning.

That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.

Thank you.

President Trump blames vandals for his reflecting pool problems. How can he be sure?

I'll come campaign for ya or against ya. Whatever whatever helps most.

Thank you.

Gavin Newsome embracing the Bidens as he considers running for president. Is that smart or a counterintuitive strategy? And the World Cup, now a must-see spectacle, both on and off the field, how did all the critics get it wrong?

Good morning everybody. I'm Audi Cornish. We're gonna start with this breaking news. Here's Starmer out. The British Prime Minister announcing his resignation in the last hour after mounting pressure to step aside.

The question my party is asking now. mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace.

Amen.

That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.

We're gonna go now to CNN's Claire Sebastian in London. Claire, very busy day there. Um can you start by talking about why now? I know it seems inevitable, but what's the sense of why Keir Starmer stepped down?

So look the clinching factor for this Audee after months of difficulties that the Prime Minister has faced for a number of different reasons, but the real clinching factor was that we had local elections across the UK in various parts. in May and the Labour Party suffered a massive defeat, losing more than fourteen hundred

I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power. I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support. wnaen nhw wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen nhw'n wnaen

Yeah.

So the question now is will there be a contest? Will anyone else stand against Andy Burnham? If they do it could take a bit longer. If they don't, this could all be over in a couple of weeks.

Oh deep. Right. And Burnham, this will be basically third times the charm because he has tried to be labor leader before. Um Trump ally, Nigel Farage actually speaking out after the news of this resignation. Do they feel like this is an opportunity uh for the Reform Party?

Look they suffered a really big defeat in this special election last week, so Farage has come out swinging today calling uh in a post on X for a general election and making the point uh in an essay that Andy Burnham doesn't having not been officially elected uh in a general election have a mandate to lead and pointing back to those local elections at the beginning of May, uh where reform did so well. I think

That's Claire Sebastian in London where UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stepped down. And coming up on CNN this morning from reflection to outrage, arrests over the algae plagued reflecting pool. And the rising costs, critics are calling that all money down the drain. Plus, are world leaders losing patience with President Trump? Trump, Italy's prime minister, is the latest. And little countries doing big things at the FIFA World Cup.

Kira So came to conquer, guys. I'm telling you this once, I'm telling you this twice. Kira So came to show up.

Let's go.

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Vandalizing or attempting to vandalize the reflecting pool will face the criminal justice system in DC.

Vandalism or something else. President Trump says he knows what is causing the problems at the reflecting pool. The President now claiming that multiple people have been arrested, accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He has not provided evidence to back up that claim. that they issued citations to five others. Now Trump did say work will begin immediately to fix it. Now this comes after his$14 million rehabilitation project has failed.

I've never seen this many National Guards in the National Park area. They came up to me and two other women asking if uh Essequin if we've touched it and then just ad promoting us not to, that we would get arrested or charged with vandalism if we did.

Today in the group chat, Eleanor Mueller, White House economic policy reporter with semaphore, Julia Manchester, National Political Reporter for the Hill, and Elena Schneider, National Political Reporter at Notice.

And there are several citations that have been handed out to individuals, and these are cases that will be prosecuted to the full extent. If there are more serious products that are put into the reflecting pool to create uh more algae or uh a bigger problem, then we'll consider s more serious charges.

Help.

Yeah.

You know, it's interesting that this came after we saw a video of hydrogen peroxide being poured into the reflecting pool. I'm not a scientist, however, um, you know, I think it's just interesting to see the sequence of events. Um certainly frustrating for the president.

We should say the people pouring those jugs of hydrogen peroxide were were government workers trying to repair the work of these contractors that the president invited. Through no insistence of Congress. Literally no one asked for this. And now here we are.

And it's frustrating, I think, for the president because he's put so much stock, I think, publicly. And yeah, for example.

Everyone. Let me play for you one of these tourists, okay? People are walking by, not vandalizing things, though clearly threatened if they are. And here's an example of just someone by the reflecting pool, kind of what they see.

So what do you think?

Yeah.

Uh it's embarrassing.

Yeah. Yeah.

Money well spent.

Well it's a little dirty.

Dirty.

Can you even

See the

Blue.

He is green.

Out of the mouths of babes, the cost of the reflecting pool so far. Originally we were told it would be one point five million. That's not what it is now. Now it is upwards of fourteen point eight million of green water.

And it was also supposed to be done within two weeks. It's obviously not done within two weeks. So look, I mean this was a no bid contract that was um given to a a a pool company that had connections to the Trump administration. The New York Times has done some great reporting. on on sort of the questions surrounding who they hired and brought on to do this kind of work. But look, we know what's at the heart of this, which is that Donald Trump cares a lot.

This is six acres. So and telling people that this public property, which belongs to us, the American people, we can't touch it now because we are the ones who have vandalized it, I feel like is delusion.

One of those arrested was a three-time Olympian canoeist who I actually gave interviews afterwards saying that he'd just bent down, he'd reached into the water, he'd touched the bottom of the pool. And then when he'd walked away is when National Park Service federal officers had approached him and said that they were arresting him for vandalism.

Gold medals, don't care. Yeah. Now's the time for your criminal origin story to begin. And I think it's

That Janine Pierrot is the one leading the charge because she's shown herself again and again to be the person who's willing to take on Trump's uh sometimes more political Uh not to say vendettas, but certainly agendas against people. She was the obviously same prosecutor who led the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the renovation of the Fed's headquarters.

The power of the state, the legal law enforcement arm of the district to solve a public relations problem. That's what it looks like on its

Yeah, I mean look I think anyone who lives in Washington D D C agrees that probably this is not the biggest issue that this city faces right now is van you know, quote vandalism of people touching uh the reflecting pool. But Janine Pirell, like many people in Trump's cabinet, understands that they have an audience of one and they're gonna serve that audience.

Okay, you guys, thank you so much. I want you to stay with us as we talked, you said, more interesting things today, more important things today.

Like this.

Game set Serena. Biggest thing in my group chats, the tennis icon will return to singles play at Wimbledon. Plus, the World Cup isn't just about soccer, it's about the vibes, and the cultures coming together are vibing. Good morning to everyone in the meantime. Philadelphia Stadium where France and Iraq will face off in the game today.

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Maybe people probably wrote us off or didn't know much about us and that was sort of our motivation as well, that let's show the world fair that we we deserve to compete.

Gatebird uh and their fairy tale continues. The tiny island nations stunned Spain last week. And they just did it again, ending in a 2-2 draw against Uruguay on Sunday. And they got their first goal in the World Cup. One step closer to a legitimate chance of getting into the knockout stage.

Yeah, he's over.

Best fixes.

That's your first ever bite of Texas barbecue. What do you think?

I don't necessarily know if w the United States was the best place for the World Cup, but I do feel like it is a very important place for this to be happening because of the amount of keeling that is probably happening to our society.

Okay, joining me now Lill Leach, contributing editor for New York magazine sports. Nature is healing is what I'm hearing. Why do you think all of this like culture clash is such a big deal? And I especially hear it coming out of the south, I should say, uh the fans from abroad who are visiting there.

Yeah, I to hear the people from the Netherlands talk about the Kansas City barbecue has really been kind of a wonderful aspect of this too. Yeah, you know, l remember this was a uh we've talked about this. People were very concerned about coming in coming to the United States for a variety of reasons from

Um we talked about uh Cape Verde as you mentioned, um, but we gotta talk about the US Elmo weighed in online. He didn't want to step in it again as he did with the Knicks. So he actually I think tweeted, just to be clear, USA to win. Okay, Elmo loves everybody, just to be clear, don't make this a thing. Honestly, evergreen chicks. Uh but can you talk about how the US is doing?

We live in an age of Elmo having to say don't make this a thing as a general rule. Uh but yeah, the the US team has really this is the best team they've ever had in the World Cup. They finished third in nineteen thirty but was a much smaller field and a much different game. The US have looked terrific in a in a lot of ways. Michel Prochettino, their coach, is a big he he's coached Tottenham Hotspur to the uh to the Champions League final. He was brought in to kind of fix this team.

No, that's a great reminder. Um, you know, I wanna mention this Iran's team actually left a note in the locker room um in LA. I I just want to show people on this little notebook here. It says From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilized Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast.

Yes, very special prize. Uh yeah, so I think that uh the final is in uh MetLife Stadium, or sorry, New York, New Jersey Stadium, uh in uh in East Rutherford. So it's very possible there could be a NYX level S. Uh appearance from him. Certainly he's been a big uh he's been a big part. He's been distracted by the pool lately, but generally speaking, he'd been a big part of what was going on with with this World Cup. He was at the draw, famously got his

Well Will Leach, I know you're in Georgia and there's like eight games that are gonna be there, so I'm sure you're gonna be having a blast. Um, Will Leach, contributing uh writer at New York magazine, thank you.

Thank you.

Now straight ahead on CNN this morning. We're gonna get back to this breaking news. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing his resignation. Plus this, here at home, a rash of tornadoes tear through the Midwest.

I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the Chasing Life Podcast. Dr. Darby Saxby is a psychologist at USC who has been researching what happens to men as they become dads. How do their brains change? How do their hormones change? What happens to their mental health and to their other relationships?

Men are built with the brain architecture that can adapt to parenthood. I think of caring and parenting not just as traits that you're born either being good at or not, but as skills. That you can hone through time and repetition and practice. And so women are really socialized to expect to occupy a primary parenting role. And we don't necessarily raise our boys with that objective in mind.

Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now wherever you get your

Good morning everybody, I'm Audie Cornish. Thank you for joining me on CNN this morning. It is now half past the hour, and here's what's happening right now. Two people are dead after a tornado outbreak in the Mideast, more in the Midwest. More than three dozen tornado reports were logged in the region by the Storm Prediction Center.

The question my party is asking now. is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace.

Now nominations to select a new Labor Party leader are set to open early next month. Starmer says he hopes a new prime minister will be in place when Parliament returns from summer recess. That's in September. Starmer's resignation comes just shy of two years into his tenure.

Hi, great to be with you.

Now I just want to remind people there's been I almost half a dozen prime ministers since Brexit, and it's been a decade since Brexit. So I think to the American public we see a lot of churn. What was it that took Yeah.

I think when Starmer got elected two years ago on this mandate of change, that was the Labour Party's slogan into the last election, almost exactly two years ago. Uh there was a real desire and a real hope that they would be different to the Conservative Party that had gone before, who ha had, as you say, had run through a whole host of different prime ministers. Keir Starmer's pitch was I'm the man to bring stability and order to British politics.

Um

Yeah, it's um it's been a wild ride.

As he was speaking this morning at Downing Street, I was like, Is that music? There was like this music playing behind him, and it turned out it was protesters who were blasting the anthem for the EU because it has been almost ten years since the Brexit vote. But since Brexit there's the there've been the pandemic, the Ukrainian war, I didn't realize this, but an immigration surge as UK tried to mitigate um some of the concerns of Brexit. So does this put

I th I think the first thing to say is your point about Brexit is right. Essentially what we've seen over the past decade is British voters trying to in various ways push a button mark change, whether that was for Brexit, whether that was for Boris Johnson who was saying, I'm gonna get Brexit done

Well, Patrick Baker, thank you so much. You're gonna have a busy day ahead. Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Now I want to turn to Italy because the president has doubled down on his feud with the Prime Minister there, and it's basically over this photo. Trump posted on Truth Social that Georgia Maloney is, quote, doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity. So Maloney responded saying, quote, my popularity is none of your concern, and I suggest you focus on yours.

Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. There is one thing he should remember. Neither I nor Italy ever.

Group chat is back with friends like these, as we say. Um I don't know who wants to go first, but why do you think this is uh persisting the way it is?

Well look, uh Georgia Maloney is somebody who was seen as as a staunch ally of the president. She was one of the only I think the only uh foreign dignitary who attended his inauguration in 2025. This has been a really warm, strong relationship.

So there's warrant. Let's go back to the offense. The offense is not backing up Trump.

when the Pope stood up to him.

Absolutely, and I we know that Jordan Maloney has been, like you said, Elena, an ally of the president. She spoke at things like CPAC, for example. She's been a popular figure even within the American conservative movement.

They've backed a lot of right wing parties in Europe. That's their whole thing.

But you know, s taking a step back from that, it's fascinating to see sort of uh you know, I guess I don't want to say the decline, but maybe the tensions that are arising between Trump and many European leaders. Like Maloney at this time during NATO uh because of the Iran War, NATO tensions

Son it humiliates Maloney, Starmer steps down, he kicks dirt over it by pre announcing it. I don't really know who's left.

But at the same time though, in terms of who's left. Yeah, the administration is turning their direction towards Latin America. And yesterday we did see uh the right wing. Trump backed conservative leader in Colombia's uh election wins. So you're seeing, I think, more of this support from the Trump administration in Latin America as they maybe turn away from Europe.

Well just in terms of this battle with Italy, um the foreign minister actually just canceled a trip to the US where they were going to have a business investment and science forum in Miami. Marca Rubio was supposed to be there. I mean, I don't know how big the business is with Italy, but They're trying to make a point here by saying we're not showing up to this thing. And when I looked at the papers this morning there, uh just a quote here um from somebody, this is in I think Libero.

It's worth reiterating. I mean, these are people who agree with Trump ideologically, and we've seen similar splits with folks who again think similarly to him in France, in Germany. It's not just Carney in Canada, who is not on the same page as Trump on many of these things to begin with, it's people who should be his strongest allies abroad.

She also has wiggle room. Like when I look at the approval ratings between Trump And Maloney and the Pope. Like she's got room. If you're gonna back somebody, are you gonna back the guy with seventy eight percent approval rating or thirty six?

Calculation. They know that Trump is not only pulling well in the United States, but he's not pulling well in their countries. And so if you've you're looking to pull yourself up a little bit, this is maybe an excuse to do it by leaning into these clashes that Trump seems so willing to. Start unprompted.

thing is it also maybe because like they're not they didn't fare so well in the tariff conversations. Like it's not clear to me what the benefit is to be a friend of Trump in this scenario. Like slightly less tariffs or

I think that's a totally fair point. I mean look that that he has not only uh obviously gone after um uh just Italy but a whole host of European countries. Let's not forget where a lot of this also started which was his attempt to take over Greenland, where he f refused to rule out f military force and attempt to go after a NATO ally. So look this is this has been many years now in this second Trump turn where we have seen him really go after uh allies in addition to who he sees as adversaries.

Oddly self-inflicted. Okay, you guys stay with me. It's now forty-five minutes past the hour. This is our morning roundup. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warning President Trump not to let a critical foreign surveillance tool lapse any longer. Trump stalled his DI pick Jay Clayton's confirmation after learning that Democrats were going to let the FIFSA rule lapse, something that Graham argues is playing with fire.

And I would urge President Trump to let Clayton testify and that we uh nominate Clayton and get him affirmed as the new DI. We don't want FISA to go dark. There's too many threats to our country for 702 to go down. Anybody who owns the shutting down of 702 uh under FISA will own a future attack against the United States.

Graham also says that the top democrat on the intelligence committee tells him there are enough democratic votes to reauthorize FISA. If Clayton's nomination is confirmed. And dozens of residents in Louisiana displaced this morning after flood waters from Tropical Storm Arthur. This is reportedly the most flooding the area has seen in decades.

We're blessed to not have any fatalities.

We just decided to come in today and see what we could do to help. What are you gonna do?

Start over. A flood warning for the area is in effect through tonight. And Serena Williams set to make another big return at Wimbledon. Williams accepted a wildcard invitation to play singles. The 44-year-old recently returned to competition after announcing her retirement four years back. Williams had already planned to play at Wimbledon, competing in doubles with her sister Venus, and Wimbledon starts next week.

So there's a new report in Axios providing some insight into a possible Gavin Newsom presidential run. Newsom is reportedly gambling on embracing former President Joe Biden, thinking that will be a popular position among Democrats. Even after Biden had to drop out of his reelection bid, Newsom has still spoken favorably of Biden's presidency.

his experiences mirrored so many of my father's. I see my father in so many ways, uh the way I see President um Biden. That's one of the reasons I was so loyal to the end. And I I'm happily we'll take the arrows on that and defend that. And we'll continue to build on the legacy, I would argue, of our former president, who I think was one of the most successful presidents in the last century, and that is Joe Biden. And I will defend that to my grave.

Group chat is back. So I don't know how you split the Biden presidency and whatever its le its legislative achievements were or economic achievements were with the decision to run again and the meltdown that happened in the process.

Very difficult calculus to do that I think a lot of democratic hopefuls have decided is not possible. We've seen folks like Brian Schatz uh happily critique Biden for his performance.

Everyone's coming out with their books and yeah.

Exactly. But I don't think anyone can accuse Gavin Newsom of not being a very calculating politician and so clearly he thinks that there is benefit to be found here, whether that's, you know, Biden's support with black and Latinx voters or

Yeah, let's show that. Is favorability with black voters right now fifty three percent for Biden? Um remaining and and with Latino voters, forty percent we know that especially after black and Latino men in some nominal but helpful numbers went to Trump, that they'd like to bring this community back. Um and also I want to show you one more set of numbers, favorability ratings um for Trump versus Biden, because they're close.

A window. Not so bad. But you know, it is certainly I think a gamble for Gavin Newsom to do this right now. He is cal calculating on the point about black and Latino voters, that's certainly a very good point, especially as President Trump loses support.

thinks that's the opening for him. Like you can grab all those people who are a little bit older, aren't so enamored with the DSA or have big questions and say, Don't worry, there's still a home for you people who actually did kind of like Biden's policies.

And I think that he's very aware, as a lot of those potential twenty twenty eight candidates are, that South Carolina is still going to be intimately involved in the early nomination process. a state that has uh that where um black voters are an enormously important part of the democratic primary election.

But an older and slightly more conservative.

Like vote. Exactly what I mean. And that's what Rocket launched uh Joe Bryan's own presidency in twenty twenty. And I think that there is a an awareness that that you can't just alienate those folks by saying, let's throw out Joe Biden altogether. I think he's trying to thread this needle of acknowledging the successes that Joe Biden had.

But I also And the reminds me of my dad is very like instead of everyone being like, oh, this daughtering Magoo is a problem, he's like, you know what? My father. Like, yeah, let's remember.

feelings about it. And also to your point about generational, a distinction of my father as opposed to my peer or something like that.

Yeah, here's Hunter Biden. I gotta play this one other thing because this Gaffa Newsom podcast, really great with the bookings. Here's Hudden uh uh Hunter Biden.

Okay, wait, one thing is this is you know you've heard dad say it a million times, is um I I'll come campaign for ya or against ya. Whatever whatever helps most.

Finger in my stomach.

Yeah. And he would say it and you'd be like, you know, it it was it was silly because of course you'd want him to come out. In my case, it's for real.

Okay, he's joking but Biden's been on a tour, uh Junior Biden trying to rehabilitate, but he has a very clear eyed way of talking about it.

He does and it's interesting to see him on X in particular and I understand that social.

Troll it.

It's not always real life, but he's becoming a personality and responding to the trolls, to maybe conservatives who are pushing back. So that's been fascinating to watch.

All right, it's Monday. We all have a bunch of reporting we're about to be assigned. And to get ahead of those editor assignments that we don't like, we have ideas of our own. What's in your group chat, Eleanor?

I don't think my editor is gonna go over this.

Oh, no, no, it's alright.

We adopted a dog recently. His name is Stanley and we got him from Old Dominion Humane Society in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They are amazing. He's four years old. He was saved from a hoarder situation. Some lady had seventy dogs in her R V, so Again, shout out to Old Dominion uh Humane Society and we are so happy to have Stanley.

St oh cute. Oh my gosh. Okay.

My group chat is World Cup related. So Sam Adams's parent company, the Boston Beer Company, said in a news release last year. That basically the Tartan Army, which are the Scottish fans that are taking over the city of Boston, drank four times what the company normally stocks. during a typical four day weekend, including the fourth of July. So once again, the Scots

news in my hometown. Like the idea that you could like go to Boston, Fenway. Exactly. I mean people know how to drink there, okay? And they just They embarrass them.

Well I have to say mine is also World Cup related. The the whole Elmo dust up has been really fun to watch. Nothing I love more than like a low-stakes drama in which like we're all sort of worried about Elmo's safety and security in this moment. But no, seriously, another sort of New York related thing is we've got elections primaries in New York coming up.

And what is Zoran Mamdani's power beyond himself, right? That's always the thing. You can have a big win, but do you have the ability to propel others around you? I think that's something people are gonna be uh watching very close.

Sticking his neck out in three different house races and it's gonna be really fascinating to see whether or not that works.

All right, you guys, thank you so much for being with us. I want to bring people up to seat on one more thing. We are actually awaiting remarks from the Vice President, J.D. Vance. Um he is in Switzerland for the latest in those U.S. and Iran talks. Um basically in the last twenty-four hours he's arrived there to launch the talks and there's been a lot of friction. Last week we were reporting to you about um continued exchange of fire.

From the descendants of history makers involved in the Louisiana Purchase to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, discover the untold stories of American expansion in the CNN original series This Land, now streaming on the CNN app.