minutes? the lead starts right now. from iowa to new hampshire to the white house, candidate hit parade, kissed babies, and tried to make their case face to face with voters with one notable exception. then a burst of blast, but not fireworks. three more mass shootings in texas, indiana, and philadelphia are the latest sites of a uniquely american tragedy. plus, hidden cameras in the women s locker room exposed a troubling pattern of sexism and abuse. in this case, it was the police behind the offense. see what a cnn investigation reveals, and meet the brave women who want answers. welcome to a special edition of the lead. i m abby phillip in for jake tapper. we start with our politics lead. today is independence day in america, but it is no holiday for the many who are hoping to become the country s next commander in chief. republicans are all out on the campaign trail in the key battleground states of iowa, new hampshire, where voters pride themselves on getting
prosecutors probing witnesses about a heated oval office meeting just weeks after donald trump s loss, during which the former president considered desperate measures to stay in power. tonight, trump on the campaign trail. once geagain trying to spin his legal problems in his favor. he is going after the justice department and his main republican rival, governor ron desantis. president biden is speaking to cnn on his decision to send cluster munitions to ukraine. the president voicing his concerns with the controversial weapons but ultimately deciding they are crucial to kyiv s counteroffensive. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i m wolf blitzer. you are in the situation room. first up tonight, cnn s exclusive new reporting on that chaotic oval office meeting now at the center of special counsel jack smith s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. our political correspondent sara murray is joining us. she
severe thunderstorms threaten holiday traditions and travel, delaying thousands of flights. there will be some storms firing up later on today. the question is will they be gone by fireworks time? not to philadelphia or police say a gunman is in custody accused of killing at least five people last night and wounding two children. gun violence also turned deadly in fort worth, texas, three people were killed and eight others wounded to. jericka: a shark spotted in florida swimming alongside beachgoers. and in new york a fourth person is bit in just two days. passport ready? what led to a summer surge of americans traveling to europe. the traffic and the crowds have never been crazier. the amount of people that are here is definitely a little bit overwhelming. with the army struggling to recruit soldiers, a new approach making it easier to serve. came to fort jackson to lose weight and qualify for the real boot camp. we are meeting them halfway to give the
reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. time for this rat pack to pack it in. thanks very much for joining me this evening. i m jim acosta. we ll be back tomorrow night. good night. your way round the hill. and now the party bosses want a meeting. they have a proposition. they want you to take a shot at the white house. not eventually, but now. - think about it, will you? narrator: well, first you ll have to get past her, the senator with decades of experience and friends in high places, already at home in the oval office. and then you ll have to get past him, a senator and bona fide war hero backed b by a mean polititical machinine. [crowd chanting indistinctly] let s say you are ready. here s the real question. is america? [dramatic music] only one way to find out. [tense music] america, president george w. bush s second term. [chatter] at war in iraq and afghanistan, teetering on the brink of a global economic crash, disillusioned, divided, and despera
yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! [womoman] demococratic presidenential candidate bill clinton is denying allegations he carried on an extramarital affair with a former nightclub singer. you re under attack, labeled a draft dodger, a womanizer. somebody offered her a lot of money and.and she took it. your presidential campaign is collapsing, dreams of the white house receding. who can you trust? your friends? family? strategists? when you re on the edge of the political abyss. not a good night! .how do you fight back? [bush] i am pleased to announce that at midnight tonight all united states and coalition forces will suspend offensive combat operations. this war is now behind us. [crowds cheer] american forces arrive home, victorious from the gulf war, after evicting saddam hussein from kuwait. george h. w. bush is now the most popular president in modern history. [buchanan] i looked down on constitution avenue when the army of desert storm marched up