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President Trump Display of Military Might on the 4th of July; Migrants Stacked Like Sardines in Facilities; Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher Breathe a Sigh of Relief; Biggest Protests Erupted in Tel Aviv; Salvadoran President Made a Solemn Promise to His Constituents; USA Team Won in Women's World Cup Semifinal. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 3, 2019 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: The growing crisis inside U.S. detention centers, as new the photos show migrants in crowded cells, where critics say they are living in deplorable conditions.

President Trump says his plans for an Independence Day parade will be a salute to the troops. But critics say he is inserting partisan politics into a patriotic holiday.

Plus, how team USA topped England to clinch a spot in the World Cup final.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church, and this is CNN newsroom.

A U.S. government watchdog is adding to the grim destructions of conditions inside border detention centers. The report describes such serious overcrowding that one border patrol manager called the situation a ticking time bomb.

At one facility, adults were held in standing room only cells for more than a week. At another, somewhere in overcrowded cells for more than a month. And children are being held far longer than the allowed 72 hours.

Migrants are not being fed hot meals, they don't have adequate access to showers, and they have a limited access to a change of clothes. The report backs up what Democratic lawmakers described after they toured the centers on Monday. Ayanna Pressley was among them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): This speaks to how broken the system is. These facilities, to detain asylum-seekers were designed to hold

people for 72 hours. And you have people who have been there for 60 days. In sweltering heat. Sleeping on concrete floors.

I was with women who have not showered in 15 days. And I asked the doctor at that CBP facility, did he think this was a public health violation? A human rights violation? And his response to me was that it was probably unsavory and unpleasant, but it was debatable as to whether or not it was a public health threat or a human rights violation.

What I saw has haunted me. It is unconscionable. And it is very sobering conformation that the system is broken from A to Z suit in that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And a new CNN poll shows most Americans, 74 percent, believes there is a crisis at the border. But they disagree along party lines on why. Sixty-three percent of Republicans think the number of migrants trying to cross the border is the problem, while 54 percent of Democrats think the treatment of the migrants is the crisis.

Well, President Trump is taking fire from critics for his plans to celebrate Independence Day with a display of military might. He is bringing tanks and fighter jets into the nation's capital, along with a 20-minute speech many fears may turn into a political rant.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins has our report.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump's grand vision for a military parade is finally coming true. At least partially.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It will be like no other. It will be special. And I hope a lot of people come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: On Thursday, Trump will turn Washington's annual Fourth of July celebration into a show of military might.

CNN has learned new details about the last-minute event which will feature tanks parked to the Lincoln Memorial, a fly over from the navy's Blue Angels, and Air Force One along with the unveiling of the new Marine 1 helicopter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to have planes going over our heads. The best fighter jets in the world, and other planes too. And we're going to have some tanks stationed outside.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Defense officials have long been hesitant about using the armed forces to advance a president's agenda and said there's no need for the U.S. to flaunt its military strength. But sources say Trump has asked the chiefs of the arms forces to stand by his side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not just who we are as Americans. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The president is setting himself up for a clash with his critics who say he is turning the patriotic celebration into a partisan one. Asked Monday if his speech will reach all Americans, he turned to Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, I think I've reached most Americans. What the Democrats plan is this is going to destroy the country and it's going to be a horrible healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Today the White House went even further. Trump is expected to speak for 20 minutes Thursday and will touch on several topics including his administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: How wonderful this country is. Our troops and military, our great democracy and great call to patriotism, the success of this administration and opening up so many jobs for individuals.

[03:05:01] What we've done for veterans. There's no final form yet. But America will hear the whole speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Local officials say they have logistical concerns about putting military equipment in crowded tourist hot spots. The D.C. city council tweeting today, "Tanks, but no tanks."

But Trump is charging ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks so we have to put them in certain areas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: While the public will get to watch from afar, the areas closest to Trump will be reserved for VIPs, who sources say will include his political allies.

Trump has wanted a military parade of his own since seeing U.S. and French troops march through the streets of Paris two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It was one of the greatest parades I've ever seen. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Today, presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway sparred with reporters about the details of the event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONWAY: Do you know that the Fourth of July is a celebration of this country's independence? Are you aware of that? Now I'm not going to allow you to politicize it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now in the past, presidents haven't typically attended this Fourth of July celebrations here in the nation's capital. But President Trump seems intent on doing so and doing it his way, no matter what the financial and political or even logistical costs are.

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: And Scott Lucas is a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, also a founder and editor of the web site E.A. World View. And he joins me now via Skype. Good to see you.

SCOTT LUCAS, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, let's start with President Trump's plans to add a flyover, tanks, and troops carriers to the Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations along with his 20 minutes speech. What's going on here, is it politics at play or patriotism?

LUCAS: It's Donald Trump's ego. Rosemary, I'm going to tell you what my Fourth of July is. My Fourth of July is not one man surrounding himself with tanks. My Fourth of July certainly is not that man in his tanks.

While, as you reported, thousands of migrants were being held in inhumane conditions because of that man. My Fourth of July is not about -- it's about the beauty of America, not an America which might be threatened by the environmental policies of someone who denies climate change and who takes money from the park service or his self- celebration.

My America, my Fourth of July is for all Americans, whatever their color, their ethnic background, their gender, their sexuality not just one man's vision of who his Americans are, and those who he attacks sometimes, and often insults on Twitter.

CHURCH: Of course, his office is suggesting that anyone who doesn't support this is not being patriotic. And CNN's latest poll shows President Trump's approval rating is still at around 43 percent. Will his efforts on Independence Day help or hinder his effort to broaden his appeal beyond his own base, do you think?

LUCAS: Well, Rosemary, I mean, patriotism, you know, a pride in one's country in the good that it stands for, is not patriotism, which allies itself with one man.

We've seen other leaders in other countries from China to the Soviet Union to Germany, define patriotism that way with I think adverse consequences. I think when you ask what the effect is on opinion polls, well that depends on who you ask in America.

But I suggest that why this Fourth of July is being celebrated is not bringing Americans together. It's being divisive. Further reinforcing those who might think that Donald Trump is a jolly, fine fellow. But further alienating those who think that it should be more about an opinion poll or about a man who is in the White House.

CHURCH: So, you think his effort, as some have suggested, to hijack these events could backfire?

LUCAS: Rosemary, this is -- whether it backfires -- look, for Donald Trump personally, that depends on the election in November 2020. Because this is part of what will be an ongoing series of events, designed to highlight this individual as representing America. And we have to see whether Americans support that when he runs for a second term.

But in the meantime, we are talking about a country, how it defines itself. We've gone through a rough few years. And I think the attempt to frame the Fourth of July has been a self-celebration. A celebration of ego. A celebration of glory which is attached to one individual. That's not a positive America, at least for me.

CHURCH: All right. I do want to cover another issue very quickly, after defying last week's Supreme Court decision to reject adding the citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The Trump administration has now dropped plans to pursue it. Although the president is not happy about it. But what do you think changed their determination to fight this?

LUCAS: They ran out of time. There are two things here. First of all, they were really under a court-ordered deadline to do something this week.

[03:10:01] And secondly, if you're going to have the census next year, you've got to get the papers printed. You've got to be able to get them distributed. And if they had waited beyond this week, they would have gone to an emergency printing, which would have cost an awful lot of money.

Now I must caution folks out there, even though the census is being printed and even though should the moment it does not have that citizenship question on it, that does not mean that the administration cannot continue to pursue some type of court action, or even to delay the description -- the distribution of the census beyond 2020. Democrats have said they will fight that delay. But this story may not be over yet.

CHURCH: Scott Lucas, we thank you for your analysis. I appreciate it.

LUCAS: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, Mexico returned 69 migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to their home countries on Tuesday. It's a temporary program by the National Migration Institute of Mexico.

President Trump threatened Mexico with tariffs if the flow of migrants into the U.S. was not slowed. El Salvador's president is also promising to try and deal with the crisis but not because of American threats but rather a tragedy.

Amara Walker has the details.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: In office just over a month, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is trying something new, to address the plight of migrants leaving his country. He is taking responsibility.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAYIB BUKELE, SALVADORAN PRESIDENT: They fled El Salvador. They fled our country. It is our fault. We haven't been able to provide anything. Not a decent job, not a decent school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: It's a rare admission among Central American leaders whose citizens leave by the thousands to make the perilous journey to the United States. A dangerous gamble for a chance of a better life that often ends with detention or death.

This photo of a father and his daughter from El Salvador laying face down in the Rio Grande River, once again highlights the desperation of those forced to leave their home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUKELE: People don't flee their homes because they want to. People flee their homes because they feel they have to. Why? Because they don't have a job. Because they are being threatened by gangs. Because they don't have basic things like water, education, health.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says, the number of families from El Salvador apprehended at the border has nearly tripled since last year. Bukele hopes to stem that flow by pledging to make El Salvador. A tough challenge for the 37-year-old president, whose country has tens of thousands of gang members and one of the highest murder rates in the world.

The United States recently cut hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to El Salvador along with Guatemala and Honduras over the migrant crisis. Bukele says he wants to improve relations with the U.S. and warns people not to make the journey to America, where they will not be welcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BUKELE: Here in El Salvador, you have to cross three frontiers, rivers, et cetera, just to get into a country that will not treat you well. It will not have papers. You will be called an illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: With so little time on the job, only time will tell whether El Salvador's new president can make good on his promises and make his country a place where families, like those who have already lost their lives, aren't afraid anymore.

Amara Walker, CNN.

CHURCH: The U.S. Congress is taking a legal step toward obtaining President Trump's tax returns. The House Ways and Means committee initially asked for them in April. But the Treasury Department denied the request so the chairman issued subpoenas.

Well now, the committee has filed a lawsuit to enforce subpoenas issued to the treasury secretary and the head of the Internal Revenue Service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): Well, the argument is actually pretty simple. Section 6103 of the Tax Code says that the chairman of the Ways and Means committee can ask for a tax return. And it shall be delivered to the chairman.

It doesn't say, unless it's the president, it doesn't say, unless the president is uncomfortable with delivering that particular tax return.

The law is very clear. It's intended for a specific purpose, to allow the Congress to play its necessary, constitutional mandated role, to provide oversight and legislate based on the best information we can get.

So not only have they not complied with section 6103, but they willfully denied the subpoena, a legally issued subpoena that they should have answered. They are trying to create new law and say that the administration does not have to answer to anybody. And obviously, we think that's wrong and we're not going to let it go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, the verdict is in for a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL accused of murdering an ISIS prisoner. Up next, we'll head to San Diego to learn the fate of Eddie Gallagher.

[03:14:58] Plus, the play shooting of an Israeli teen sparks violent protests. We report live from Jerusalem next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: That was the scene in Tel Aviv, Israel Tuesday night, where fierce clashes broke out between protesters and police. Demonstrators are outraged after the shooting death of an Ethiopian Israeli teen.

he was killed by an off-duty police officer on Sunday. Authorities say the officer opened fire when a group of people began throwing stones.

For more, CNN's Oren Liebermann is live in Jerusalem. He joins us now. So, Oren, what is the latest information you have on the shooting and the demonstrations?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, we just got the latest number from police. They say 111 police officers were injured throughout the demonstrations, which were not only in Tel Aviv, but all across the country, as well as 136 protesters taken into custody. Dozens of protesters were injured, according to Israel's emergency response service.

[03:19:58] Those numbers alone would make that this probably, almost certainly the biggest protests across the country since I've been here over the course of the last four and a half years. Which gives you an idea of just how big this is.

So, let's take this back to where all this begins on Sunday night in northern Israel in the city of Kiryat Haim. According to police, an off-duty police officer came to a playground where he saw an argument between two people.

He felt his life was in danger as the argument escalated, according to police and he shot a bullet. That bullet then killed 19-year-old Solomon Tekah and that was the match that essentially ignited the anger we're seeing here on the streets.

Here is one protester expressing why this wasn't just the frustration of the shooting but the frustration of all Ethiopian-Israelis in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGADA KONI, ETHIOPIAN-ISRAELI PROTESTER (through translator): We can tell that no one sees this. No one investigates these issues deeply. They always sweep this issue under the carpet. We don't understand anything.

The alert is only nonsense. We don't want these things to continue. We don't want these things to be under the carpet. We want them to treat this from the roots. We want an honest life. If there's no honest life, there won't be any calm in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: As I said, the protests weren't just in Tel Aviv but all across the country. There were hundreds, if not thousands of protesters that blocked streets. And from there, it escalated.

According to police there were Molotov cocktails thrown. We've seen in the video tires burned. Police say the protesters tried to break into police stations and it went beyond that, as well. There are more protests scheduled for tonight as authorities try to

get a handle on this to try to not contain the protests but also to attempt to calm the community, which you can see the anger in their faces and on the streets, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Literally. And Oren, what's the government saying about this and what are they planning to do about it?

LIEBERMANN: Well, it's worth noting that from the officials we've heard from, there has been an incredibly conciliatory tone coming from those authorities. They say look, we understand your anger. We understand what's happening here.

And it is important to note that the police officer that pulled the trigger that killed 19-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli Solomon Tekah is in custody. He remains at this point under house arrest. Because there have been questions about his version of events and whether his life was truly in danger.

But as that investigation continues, the anger continues, as well, with more demonstrations scheduled for this evening and beyond. Authorities and the minister of public security are trying to meet with the leaders of the protests to try to sort calm the influence. They say, look, in a democracy, you're allowed to protest but not violently.

Rosemary, we'll certainly see where this goes over the next couple of days.

CHURCH: Indeed. Oren Liebermann, bringing us that live report. Many thanks.

Well, a U.S. Navy SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq, has been found not guilty in the murder of a wounded ISIS fighter.

A military jury in California gave its verdict Tuesday in the case of Eddie Gallagher. Other SEALS accused him of stabbing a young captive in 2017 and said Gallagher also shot at civilians. But he was only convicted on one charge, posing for a photo with a human casualty.

Gallagher had backing from Fox News personalities. And President Trump was reportedly considering a pardon.

CNN's Nick Watt has more on the case from San Diego.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It looks like Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher will be at home, a free man, for the Fourth of July. He had been facing life behind bars. Had he been convicted of premeditated murder.

Remember, he was charged with stabbing to death an ISIS detainee in Iraq back in 2017 and of posing with the corpse. He was also charge with firing into crowds of civilians using a sniper rifle to shoot an old man, a civilian and a young girl, and also charge with pressuring his fellow SEALS not to turn him in and then retaliating against those who did. Not guilty on six of those charges. The only charge he was found

guilty on, was posing with that photo. And the defense had never really argued against that. The photo existed. Everyone had seen it. There was no real point in arguing against that.

But that photograph was really the position prosecution's key piece of evidence. That and the text messages that Eddie Gallagher sent along with that photo saying "got this one with my hunting knife. Got this one. Got my knife skills on."

But there was no forensic evidence in this case. None whatsoever. It was really about Navy SEALS taking the stand and giving testimony. Some of them saying Eddie Gallagher did this, we saw him stab an ISIS fighter. And others saying he never did. He didn't do it at all.

And in the end, the jury decided that Eddie Gallagher was not guilty. So, he is a free man. The sentencing still going on. That will continue later this morning. But the maximum he can be charged -- he can be sentenced with for posing in that photo is four months. And he's already served around nine months behind bars during pre-trial confinement.

CHURCH: Well, shifting gears now, to the world of sport, where team USA are through to the final at the Women's World Cup after a close win over England.

[03:25:03] CNN's Amanda Davies has the highlights.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS PRESENTER: This was a night when the best team won. A game of high stakes, high intensity and high passions, came down to two pivotal VAR moments. The first, the tightest of tight of cycles, which ruled out what would have been England's equalizer.

The second, a much-deliberated penalty which England's captain Steph Houghton failed to step up and convert. But even without those, you always have the feeling that England's lionesses were the hunted not the hunting. Not for nothing at the USA the best team in the world.

They were quicker, more incisive, more ruthless. And they were without their joint top scorer in the tournament, Megan Rapinoe. She'd been ruled out through injury but it just didn't matter.

Up Steph, Christen Press who scored within 10 minutes, so too Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn and Rose Lavelle, and the list goes on. The USA scored depth composure and fitness ultimately showing through.

It was though, a match that did exactly what a World Cup semifinal should do. It provided a real spectacle, a rollercoaster of emotions. But for England, it's one that once again ends in disappointment for the third time in three major tournaments.

There's a semifinal defeat for the USA. The ride continues. They're now, just one game away from that record extending fourth crown. And you would be a brave individual to bet against it.

Amanda Davies, CNN, Lyon, France.

CHURCH: Well, for our international viewers, thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Business Traveler is just ahead for you. And for our viewers here in the United States, I'll be back with more news in just a moment. So, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to update you now on the main stories we've been following this hour. U.S. government investigators say they have found extreme overcrowding at border detention facilities, including migrants in standing room-only cells and children being held far longer than the 72 hours allowed.

The report also found a lack of hot meals and inadequate access to showers. The man who transformed the American auto industry has died. Lee Iacocca created the Ford Mustang in the 1960s and help save Chrysler from bankruptcy in the late '70s. Iacocca was 94.

A military jury has found a U.S. Navy SEAL not guilty in the murder of a captured ISIS fighter. Eddie Gallagher was cleared of several other charges Tuesday, but he was found guilty of posing with a human casualty. The jury is set to deliberate a sentence on that charge in the coming hours.

Well, the tanks are rolling into Washington, as Donald Trump gets ready for his military-themed Fourth of July celebration; only a few tanks, actually, but the show of military might is drawing criticism from some as an attempt to politicize the country's armed forces. CNN's Barbara Starr has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're going to have a great Fourth of July in Washington, D.C. It'll be like no other.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump claims the military is thrilled to be at his self-proclaimed salute to America. There's no way to know if that's really true. The military is required to do what the commander-in-chief says, as long as the order is legal. President Trump has wanted to show off the U.S. military in a large-scale public event since seeing the 2017 Bastille Day Parade in Paris. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway defended Thursday's event and rejected claims it's too political.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Do you know the Fourth of July is a celebration of this country's independence. Are you aware of that? I'm not going to allow you to politicize it.

STARR: But is this event sending the right message?

DAVID LAPAN, VP OF COMMUNICATIONS, BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER: I think our military might, our prowess, is renowned throughout the world. So I don't think that some flyovers and a few static displays of tanks are going to demonstrate that to the world or to the American people.

STARR: General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other senior military leaders are now expected to attend. Nine-hundred troops from the Washington, D.C. National Guard are being activated for security duties. That's triple the number routinely deployed for the holiday.

TRUMP: We're going to have planes going overhead, the best fighter jets in the world and other planes, too, and we're going to have some tanks stationed outside.

STARR: Two M1 tanks and two armored vehicles have been brought to Washington. But each tank weighs 60 tons. It's not clear if they can be parked near the 97-year-old Lincoln memorial, without damaging the area. There will be a flyover of the F-22 and the F-35, the Air Force's latest fighter jet, and the plane used as Air Force One, and even the new Marine One presidential helicopter. The cost for all of this, nobody knows. The Republican National Committee is distributing reserve tickets for VIPs, friends and family, and members of the military.

LAPAN: July 4th is a holiday to celebrate our independence as a country, our freedoms as a country - we've done for decades without it being directly tied to the military.

STARR: If President Trump veers into partisan political remarks on July 4th, expect those senior military officials to stay quiet and not react. They want to make very sure they are not part of the partisan political debate. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Let's get more of this with Colonel Cedric Leighton in Washington. He is a CNN senior analyst. Welcome - always great to have you on the show.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE: Thanks, Rosemary. It's great to be with you.

CHURCH: Well, as a military man yourself, how concerned are you that President Trump is hijacking Fourth of July celebrations, turning them into a campaign event, essentially, as some critics have suggested?

LEIGHTON: Well, I'm concerned about it, Rosemary, because the American military is an apolitical military. That's what we're supposed to be. Obviously, military members have their own political views, but they are really prohibited from campaigning for candidates, for - from showing up at campaign events or from doing anything that is perceived to be a partisan political piece or anything of a partisan political nature.

[03:35:00]

And to do something like this on the Fourth of July, it is, I think, really getting very close to the line that divides the military from the political world. CHURCH: Right. And President Trump tweeted this, the Pentagon and

other great military leaders are thrilled to be part of his salute to America. Is he right on that point? Or is it difficult to make an assessment on that?

LEIGHTON: Well, none of the military leaders that are currently serving, of course, would ever say what they really think, except perhaps in private. But I can tell you that most of them are not thrilled to be here, and they certainly don't want to be used for partisan political purposes, because that then cheapens, not only their advice to the president, which they're legally bound to give, but it calls into question the separation of the military from the political process. The military is controlled by civilians in the United States, but it is also supposed to be very independent of the political process.

CHURCH: Of course, President Trump has asked the chiefs of every branch of the military to stand with him during the celebration, but the pentagon is not saying who might be attending. How do you think the chiefs will respond to that request?

LEIGHTON: That's going to be very interesting to watch, because, technically, they are supposed to follow the orders of the president. He is, after all, the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, but they also have an obligation to maintain themselves in an apolitical fashion. They can, perhaps, you know, send one or a couple representatives; that might be useful, or perhaps, they'll send the deputy representatives of their respective services.

But that is -- it's a tough call for them to make, and it kind of puts them, in essence, between a rock and a hard place, because what they're trying to do is they're trying to, of course, show support for the commander-in-chief, in the sense of his position, not his politics. And then they also, of course, have to maintain that separation between the political and the military side of things.

CHURCH: Yes, it could prove to be very awkward, indeed. And the iconic fireworks display, we know, will be moved to accommodate Mr. Trump's new plans. All flights will be grounded for more than two hours at Washington's Reagan National Airport. And the number of National Guard troops will be triple for security. And while the pentagon won't say how much it will cost for the flyover, the tanks and, of course, the troop carriers, could that be better spent on veterans and their pressing needs at this time?

LEIGHTON: Certainly, from my personal standpoint, I would say yes. It would be much more important to support the veterans, the people who have serve and who have suffered because of the -- their service, as a consequence of that service. They should be really looked at and made a high priority.

We, of course, have a lot of politicians here in the United States that say very good things about the veterans and tend to applaud the veterans for their service, which is great. But, you know, it's one of those things where you have to put your money where your mouth is, and in this particular case, the money would be better spent to support veterans' causes and to support veterans' healthcare needs.

CHURCH: And of course, it's worth pointing out, this is a compromise arrangement. The president initially wanted a grand military parade on the same massive scale he's seen in France, Russia, North Korea, but the cost was just way too high. What do you make of a U.S. president who wants to display America's military hardware in this way?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think he's missing a point that previous presidents have really been able to use to their advantage. America has been known for wielding its power fairly quietly, until it really has to go out and perform a military mission.

In World War II, a lot of people that I spoke with in countries that were enemy states of the United States would tell us, when the Germans march through the territories, you could hear the boots marching on the - on the cobblestones. When the Americans came through, you couldn't hear them because their boots were so silent, and it had a completely different on the population. And it's the silence that wins in this case. And I think we need to learn that the silence is more powerful than the bluster.

CHURCH: Yes, interesting points. Thank you so much for joining us. Colonel Cedric Leighton, always a pleasure to chat with you.

LEIGHTON: Same here, Rosemary. It's great to be with you.

CHURCH: Well, before he even joined the presidential race, Joe Biden was seen as the one to beat, but new polls show the former vice president's lead is shrinking. So who's catching up? We'll take a look -- and snubbed by "Vogue," a presidential candidate speaks out after being left out of a high-profile magazine shoot. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

CHURCH: In the race for the White House, new polls show some key shifts among the Democrats. As CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports, it's still a very fluid race.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, a reset of the 2020 race, and a reshuffling in the top tier of the crowded Democratic field. A new Iowa poll from Suffolk University and "USA Today" shows Joe Biden in the lead, but far from invincible, with Kamala Harris on the rise in the state that kicks off the voting in just seven months. Elizabeth Warren also climbing, as Bernie sanders falls below the three top contenders.

The survey of likely caucus-goers largely mirroring the findings of the CNN national poll out Monday, and a new Quinnipiac poll today, showing Biden at 22 percent and Harris at 20, with Warren and Sanders not far behind. Aides to Biden say the former vice president always knew he would have a contest, not a coronation, but they did not expect it would happen so quickly, after a shaky first debate last week in Miami. Biden foreshadowed this himself, not long ago on the campaign trail.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I see all of these polls; they give them to me. They don't mean a thing right now. This is a marathon, and the marathon is just beginning.

ZELENY: The increasing competitive primary fight coming as candidates are preparing to blanket the campaign trial in Iowa for the Fourth of July. All eyes will be on Harris, whose debate performance has suddenly made her a top contender, the spotlight shining on Sanders.

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But not the kind of attention he's accustomed to, with Iowa and national polls show him losing ground. The Sanders campaign, announcing today it raised $18 million over the last three months. He's been surpassed by Pete Buttigieg, who revealed Monday, he's raised more than $24 million. Yet sanders is responsible for driving much of the policy discussion in the 2020 campaign and shifting the party to the left, which was on full display during last week's back- to-back debates.

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Some Democrats worry that President Trump and other Republicans are smiling tonight at the fact that the Democratic Party is moving too far to the left.

BERNIE SANDERS, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every poll that I have seen suggests that every part of our progressive agenda is supported by the American people.

ZELENY: But the new CNN poll showed that while 85 percent of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents want the government to provide a national health insurance program, only 30 percent want to completely replace private insurance as Sanders is pushing. Meanwhile in Chicago today, at Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push coalition meeting, Buttigieg acknowledging challenges of his own, particularly introducing himself to African-American voters who are a critical slice of the primary electorate.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, when you're new on the scene and you're not of a community of color, you got to work much harder to learn that trust, because trust is largely a function of quantity time.

ZELENY: Now, as for Biden, he's entering what his aides see is a critical month of July, with four weeks before the Democratic debate, where he hopes to get a second chance to present his argument that he's the strongest Democrat to take on President Trump. That, of course, is very much an open question as all of these new polls show. He'll also be campaigning far more aggressively, heading to Iowa on Wednesday and three events alone on the Fourth of July. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: "Vogue" magazine is out with a new feature. "Madam President: looking at the women hoping to defeat Donald Trump in 2020." But take a look at this photo; five of the six women running for president is shown. The one who's missing, spiritual guru and author Marianne Williamson.

Her supporters felt she was snubbed, but "Vogue" responded by saying, we're in no way discrediting Marianne Williamson and all she's accomplished. For the photo, "Vogue" wanted to highlight the five female lawmakers who bring a collective 40 years of political experience to this race. Well, Williamson was quick to call out the magazine for its explanation.

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MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The framers of the Constitution were very clear about who's qualified to run for president, and they did not make any media, certainly not "Vogue" magazine, the gatekeeper here. The framers of the Constitution said that in order to run for president, in order to be qualified to be president, you have to have been born here, you had to have lived here for 14 years, and you have to be 35 years or order.

Now if they had wanted to say, you had to have been an elected official, they would have, and they didn't for a reason. They were leaving it to every generation to determine for itself the skill set that that generation feels is most necessary in order to navigate the times in which we live. And that kind of bias on the part of media, it's very insidious; it's very subtle.

It's a suggestion that only those who have elected office in their past are qualified. Now this is not in any way to minimize or to disparage those qualifications, but there are other kinds of qualifications. And Franklin Roosevelt said that the primary aspect of the presidency, he said the administrative aspect is secondary, and the primary role, he said, is moral leadership.

So this should not be anybody's decision but the American people.

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CHURCH: Williamson does have some work to do though. As recent polls show, her lagging far behind the rest of the Democratic field. Ivanka Trump's been everywhere lately, spanning time and space to be at events through history, how her presence at an actual significant summit sparked the unwanted Ivanka campaign.

We're back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: South America witnessed a total solar eclipse on Tuesday; that's when the moon passes perfectly between the sun and the earth. It started over La Serena, Chile at 4:38 pm eastern time, and traveled across the Andes Mountain range before ending near Buenos Aires in Argentina, about six minutes later - fabulous images there.

Well, one of China's top tech billionaires wouldn't let a little cold water dampen spirits at a company event. The CEO of Baidu, Robin Li - there it is - was giving a speech on artificial intelligence and self- driving cars, when a man walked on stage and dumped a bottle of water on Li's head.

It's not clear who the man was or why he did it, but Li took it all in stride, telling the crowd, as you can see, all kinds of unexpected things may happen on our way forward in AI development. (Inaudible). Well, from the moon landing to the sinking of the Titanic, Ivanka Trump is on the frontlines of history, but how did the viral hashtag, #UnwantedIvanka start? Jeanne Moos takes a look at the video that launched a million memes.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From landing on the moon to landing with the pilgrims, Ivanka Trump has been everywhere lately, thanks to a video showing a moment when the president's daughter tried to join a conversation with heavyweights like the leaders of France and Britain at the G20 summit.

Resulting in awkward body language that some read as, what's she doing here? And thus was born, #UnwantedIvanka - crashing the last summer - joining Yoko Ono and John in bed - walking across Abbey Road with The Beatles - barging in on Nixon and Elvis. The meme rocked Twitter, as Ivanka sat atop a beam with construction workers and spied on the royal wedding kiss.

It was the French government that posted the video snippet that inspired the meme, but now the French are saying, "Oops," telling Politico, "We didn't anticipate the reaction. We are not responsible for the use made of the clip." How would they know Ivanka would end up amid Egyptian hieroglyphics? Clinging to the Loch Ness Monster? At risk of being kicked by U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe?

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Adrift with Jack and Rose after the sinking of the Titanic?

JACK DAWSON, "TITANIC": You must promise me, that you'll survive.

MOOS: #UnwantedIvanka has survived for days. The White House blamed Ivanka haters, telling Vanity Fair they were "absolutely pathetic."

TRUMP: Has anyone ever heard of Ivanka?

MOOS: It had been a high-profile trip for the president's daughter. She even made North Korean TV.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ivanka Trump -

MOOS: After Korea, she made stops everywhere, from "Brokeback Mountain" to Mount Rush-Ivanka, transported by bike like E.T. And like E.T., Ivanka took off. She was even spotting in O.J.'s Bronco, #UnwantedIvanka, riding with a wanted man. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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CHURCH: She gets around, right? Thanks for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me anytime on Twitter, @rosemaryCNN. "EARLY START" is next. You're watching CNN. Have a great day.

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