happening now, breaking news. nearing a deal. secretary of state john kerry pushing toward a big announcement. will negotiators reach the finish line in the next few hours? students targeted. new details about an isis-inspired plot to bomb college dorms and cafeterias and to execute students live online. tonight, an american has now been arrested along with an arsenal of weapons turned in by his own father.

freeing prisoners. president obama shortens the sentences of dozens of drug offenders, saying their punishments didn't match their crimes. why is he making this a high priority now? and walk ir'ser's leap. the wisconsin governor is the 15th republican to join the presidential ration. can he steal the thunder of some bigger names like bush and trump? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." this is cnn breaking news. >> breaking news diplomats say they hope to announce an historic nuclear deal with iran in a matter of hours. this after a day of new snag in the high-stakes negotiations and rising and falling hopes for an agreement. we're digging for details, we're standing by for a possible news conference. also a chilling isis-inspired bomb plot exposed. with a new arrest right here in the united states.

a prosecutor says the son of a boston police captain was planning mass killings on behalf of the terrorist group. we'll talk about all those stories and more with republican presidential candidate rick santorum standing by live. and our correspondents and analysts are standing by with all the news that's breaking right now. first let's get the very latest from our global affairs correspondent elise labott working these iran nuclear negotiations. >> diplomats in the talks begin to tell me they're putting the finishing touches on the agreement. it's been a days of ups and the downs. there's been a lot of issues that have been clear but issues remain focused around the arms embargo. iran wants a u.s. arms embargo lifted immediately while a deal is being implemented. the u.s. and partners have been resistant but we understand those issues are on their way to being finished. there are still issues relating to the wording of the document. the diplomats tell me they hope to have a deal announced within

several hours. >> will that document immediately be released? i understand it's about 100 pages. or will some of it be confidential or secret only allow the to be known by the negotiators themselves not the american public? >> i think most of it is going to have to be released. there are six parties so it's going to need to be translated into six, seven different languages, including farsi for the iranians. it's going to need to be released to all these people. clearly the u.s. congress is really aware that deal is going to be released. the president, secretary kerry, have said it's going to need to pass must exert american people and congress will have time to review it. they're still meeting, they don't know exactly when the deal will be announced, but they are putting the finishing touches on the agreement, wolf. sources tell me they hope there will be an announcement in the next couple of hours. >> i've spoken with members of congress who are concerned not all of it will be made public. there will be secret provisions maybe made known in confidential sessions with certain key members of the house and senate but the american people won't

have access to all of it is that what you're hearing? >> i think they'll be general principles released to the public in terms of the u.s. will clearly try to spin this the way it wants, that it has tough inspections. will the actual details of those inspections of iranian nuclear facilities raunian military bases, it's been a very contentious issue, be in there? i'm not so sure. even senior officials that have been backgrounding the press in months leading up to this agreement have said some of those details may have to be classified may need to be secret. i think they're going to want to give congress as many details as they can, but i would expect some of the contents of this agreement, particularly in those very technical annexes might not be released to the public. >> that's a source of concern to some members of congress. they say the iranians will have all those details, the chinese, russians, europeans, they'll have all those details but the american public won't have access to those details and that's potentially going to be an issue if they keep some of the agreements secret. we'll see what happens, elise,

thanks very much. other details emerging right now of a very disturbing development, a new isis-related terror arrest in the united states. a federal prosecutor says the son of a boston police captain was planning attacks with pressure cooker bombs and other devices all in the name of isis targeting big crowds, including college students and dorms and cafeterias. our justice reporter evan perez has been getting more information about the suspect, the alleged plot. >> wolf the fbi describes a chilling plan to carry out terrorist attacks inspired by the boston marathon bombings. alexander ciccolo was arrested july 4th after obtaining firearms. the fbi says he's a muslim convert who in recent months became obsessed with it's sister. could go to the fbi an undercover informant recorded conversations in which ciccolo described various plans for attacks including he wanted to use assault rifles and bombs to attack a university campus, targeting college dorms and the

crowded cafeteria. his plan included pressure cooker bombs like those we saw used in boston and they would be packed with nails and ball bearings. he also allegedly wanted to carry out executions of students and broadcast them on the internet. according to the fbi, when they searched ciccolo's apartment he had several partially constructed molotov cocktails. >> evan perez with that. we're staying on top of the story, you're working your sources, thank you. a new assault on isis terrorists being launched overseas right now. iraqi forces aiming to retake a critical isis stronghold. >> wolf the question is the battle the crucial battle to retake ramadi really on? u.s. officials say, not so fast. near ramadi 29 air strikes struck nearly 70 areas where isis has been staging fighters and weapons.

it comes as iraq says it has begun operations to recapture anbar province west of baghdad, the isis stronghold in iraq. u.s. officials say full-blown combat has yet to begin and it's not clear how much isis weaponry ire strikes have hit. shia forces are moving east toward fallujah an attempt to freeze isis in place. if it works the plan calls for iraqi forces to move west toward ramadi. but two months after iraqi forces ran from ramadi isis threatens their ability to get it back. >> first and foremost vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, these are basically car bombs and truck bombs. and those could wreak huge havoc on militia forces and iraqi regular forces that would go into a place like ramadi. >> reporter: in the not so

friendly skies over raqqa syria, the u.s.-led coalition found it had unwelcome company. on saturday for the first time the coalition says syrian war planes conducted air strikes over raqqa at the same time coalition war planes were bombing bridges just four miles away. worry the air campaign just got even more dangerous. >> since there's no coordination the risk of a crash or some other incident including firing on each other, could definitely occur. and that is one of the biggest issues that we would have flying over syria. >> reporter: raqqa is very much in the u.s. crosshairs. the working theory is abu bakr al baghdadi the leader of isis may be nearby. u.s. officials tell cnn they're also trying to confirm a top leader of an al qaeda affiliate was killed in a recent strike in syria. now, behind the scenes the u.s.

military has been heavily involved in developing that war plan for ramadi back in iraq. the u.s. says getting ramadi back is a must-win for the iraqis but it's a very long road ahead. >> all right, barbara starr thanks very much. let's talk about all of this and more. joining us here in "the situation room," former republican senator rick santorum now a republican presidential candidate. once again, senator, thanks very much for joining us. i want to alert our viewers. we're standing by. scott walker republican governor of wisconsin, is going to be making his announcement he's running for president. i want to hear some of that speech as well. let's talk about this iran nuclear deal. could be hours away. you i take it hate this deal right? >> i think it's a folly. i think the idea of negotiating with an organization a government that continues to call for death to america, death to israel that has existing sanctions -- excuse me existing commit manies in place that

they're not living up to. iran has never lived up to any of its treaty obligations. why do we believe now that they're going to all of a sudden change when the only reason they came to the table was because of these diplomatic -- excuse me these economic sanctions that were causing problems in their economy? and now we've given them some relief on that. we're about to give them more relief on that. why would they feel that they need to go along with this? >> are you willing to at least give the administration the benefit of the doubt, read the 100-page document look at the days? maybe there are some aspects of it that will seriously prevent iran from developing a nuclear bomb? >> number one, i don't believe they'll adhere to any of it. >> the raunians? >> the iranians. >> the administration says if they don't adhere to it they could snap back those sactions and intentionfy -- >> there's been lots of comments that once this deal has signed it now creates an opportunity for the rest of the world, which is not as adamant about iran not getting a nuclear weapon at least much of the rest of the

world. some of our european allies are being tougher than we are in these negotiations. most of the rest of the -- >> who do you think? >> france has been remarkably strong on this. but the russians -- they're all looking for the opportunities to wash their hands of any kind of sanctions with iran and other countries also. so the idea that they'll be able to snap back no one credibly believes that we'll be able to snap back any sanctions once this deal is signed because it will then be an argument of interpretation. the united states will say, well they're not doing this. iran will say, yes, we are. . so this will go on a long drawn-out process. meanwhile the money is flowing back into iran they can reconstitute their program, they can better fund terrorism, and they're off to the races of being a continued bad actor. >> there's one school of thought that says, maybe this deal for 10 years, 15 years, stops iran from developing a bomb during that period. maybe there will be regime change in iran, a more moderate regime will emerge, a more democratic regime that won't be

interested in developing a nuclear bomb. >> that's a possibility, we'll certainly do everything we can to encourage regime change. i was in the senate and authored a bill called the iran freedom support act that funded a pro-dem groups in iran. president obama cut that funding when he came into office and never used that funding to help support the green revolution or anything else there. i don't think you can count on this administration doing anything to foment regime change. >> i want to get to other issues while i have you. today as part of a larger attempt to deal with criminal justice, the president commuted prison sentences of 46 drug phoneders. senator rand paul for example, supports these kind of moves. where do you stand? >> i think we need to take a look at our criminal justice system and particularly some of these crimes related to drugs. when i was in the united states senate and the house, 1990s, there was a big rush to federalize a lot of these crimes, put very tough penalties in place. i think we are filling up our

prisons with nonviolent offenders. it's not like it's not a serious crime, but some of the sentences given out are disproportionate to the crime. >> on this issue you agree with president obama? >> i can't speak specifically to these particular cases because i haven't reviewed them, but this is an important issue we need to revisit as a country. >> you spent a lot of time thinking about how you, if elected president, would defeat isis. we had the evan perez report you heard, a 23-year-old massachusetts man arrested today, supposedly allegedly plotting to bomb or attack college dorms, cafeterias in massachusetts. what's your strategy -- >> as long as isis continues to hold their territory and expand this territory, they have legitimacy within the radical islamic world and will be able to radicalize people. not just to join them in iraq and syria but also here in the united states and around the world. so that's why the public relations campaign which is primarily what this president is doing with respect to this war as opposed to a serious campaign with a commitment to defeat

isis, is what we need. >> like what? >> i can only go by -- i'm not a military strategist so for me to without any kind of proper briefings to give you a detailed strategy but i can tell you that i would arm the kurds. because they are willing to fight. and we are not giving them the weapons to do so. the jordanians need more help human turn help because of the refugee crisis. the egyptians which we are withholding arms from have been clear they're willing to fight isis in libya and maybe other places. we can start right there. and of course providing more support on the ground for the iraqis as well as the kurds to be able to push the isis out of iraq take back ramadi other places. we begin to push back shrink this caliphate, they lose legitimacy in the radical islamic world. and i think a lot of these activities will scale down. >> let's talk politics a little bit. you want to be president of the united states. you want to win more caucuses primaries. you won 11 states last time around.

you won the iowa caucuses barely over mitt romney. you did win the iowa caucus. there was a count that went on and on. you did win the iowa caucuses. right now you're thought doing that well. donald trump is doing great in the polls right now in iowa, new hampshire, nationally for that matter. how do you explain that? >> you know to me what matters is how well you're doing when they cast votes. four years ago we were at 1% or 2% in the polls. two weeks before the election in iowa, national polls had us at 2%. so i don't really pay much attention to what's going on in national polls. you've got did run the race where the race is. the first race is in iowa. that's where we're going to spend our time and neverenergy. the next races are new hampshire, south carolina, nevada. i'll be in new hampshire next week south carolina next week i'll be in nevada in a week or two. so we're going to be where the races are. and we're going to focus our time and energy on building a great grass roots team to support that. >> to be in that top ten for that first republican debate

august 6th it's a national poll it's not where you stand in iowa or new hampshire. >> i think that's a mistake. i think the idea -- >> how would you do it? >> i would be -- >> there are 15 with scott walker about to formally announce he's going to make a speech in a few moments. how would you divide it up? >> i think at this point the press shouldn't be deciding who's in and who's out. i think that's really for the voters to decide. so i would have two debates. think if you have 16 candidates take the even-number candidates as far as top to bottom in polls, take the odd-number candidates do it that way. >> stand by for a few moments. i want to have a key race alert. 15th mage republican candidate officially jumping into the presidential race. let's go live to wisconsin. the announcement by the governor scott walker. ♪ life is a highway i want to ride it all night long ♪ ♪ you're going my way i want to

drive all night long ♪ ♪ there was a distance between you and i ♪ ♪ a misunderstanding once but now we look it in the eye ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ my way ♪ >> thank you. thank you. >> we scott, we want scott, we want scott! >> thank you. thank you. >> we want scott, we want scott we want scott! >> thank you. i love america. you know, as kids, my brother david and i used to love to go over and visit one of our neighbors by the name of clair conn. mr. conn had served our country in world war i and world war ii.

then like so many other veterans, he came back and served his community. over the years, we used to love to see him down at the concession stand at legion baseball. he'd help out in our church and he was a leader in my boy scout troop. i can remember over the years before memorial day he would organize me and all the other scouts as we would go through and put up flags on the graves of the fallen. it was impossible to be around mr. conyer and not share his love for god and country. i think back 30 years ago. mr. conn and his american legion post helped me attend the program called badger boy state. it was there i learned about state and local government. along the way it was interesting. i got the chance to be selected to represent wisconsin in a program out in washington, d.c. called boys nation. and there i met another veteran, a vietnam veteran, from georgia,

by the name of bob turner. now bob and all the other veterans that ran that program not only taught us about the federal government the national elections. they shared their love for our country. and they inspired within me the importance of public service when it comes to defending our liberties. veterans like that remind me that what makes america great is the fact that america is a can-do kind of country. unfortunately, we have a government in washington that just can't quite seem to get the job done. you know washington whereas i call it 68 square miles surrounded by reality, well the good news is it's not too late. we can turn things around. to do that we need new, fresh

leadership. leaders with big, bold ideas from use of washington. the kind of leadership that knows how to get things done, like we've done here in wisconsin. since i've been governor we took on the unions and we won. we lowered taxes by $2 billion. in fact we lowered taxes on individuals, on employers, and property owners property taxes today are lower than they were four years ago. how many other governors can say that? since i've been governor we've passed lawsuit reform and regulatory reform. we defunded planned parenthood

and passed pro-life legislation. we enacted castle doctrine and concealed carry so we can protect ourselves, our families, and our property. and we now require a photo i.d. to vote in this state. if our reforms can work in a blue state like wisconsin, they can work anywhere in america. as i travel this country though i got to tell you. i hear from people who say they're frustrated with politicians telling people what they're against and who they're against. americans want to vote for something and for someone.

so tonight, let me tell you what i'm for. i'm for reform growth safety. i'm for transferring power from washington into the hands of hard-working taxpayers in states all across the country. that's real reform. i'm for building a better economy that allows everyone to live their piece of the american dream. that's pro-growth. and i'm for protecting our children and our grandchildren from radical islamic terrorism in all the world.

my record shows that i know how to fight and win. now, more than ever america needs a president who will fight and win for america. so first, so first let me tell you why i'm for real reform in washington. you see, our big, bold reforms here in wisconsin took the power out of the hands of the big government special interests and put them firmly into the hands of the hard-working taxpayers. today, today in this state, people who are actually elected by local property taxpayers literally run our schools. that means we got rid of things like seniority and tenure. that means we can hire and fire based on merit and pay based on performance and put the best and the brightest in our classrooms.

now, think about that. four years later, four years later, graduation rates are up. third grade reading scores are higher. and wisconsin's a.c.t. scores are now second-best in the country. our reforms worked. that just goes to show that government closest to the people is generally the best. which is precisely why we need to take power and money out of washington and send it back to our states in key areas like medicaid and transportation and workforce development and education. sadly, though washington seems to think that success is

measured by how many people are dependent on the government. we we measure success by just the opposite. by how many people are no longer depend department on the government.ent on the government. we understand that freedom and prosperity do not come from the mighty hand of the government. they come from people empowered to control their own lives and their own test niece, of dignity that is born of work. of work. that's what we stand for. as a kid, my first job was washing dishes at the countryside restaurant. then i moved up to the big-time. i started flipping hamburgers in high school at mcdonald's to save up for college. my dad who you heard before was a small-town preacher and my

mom was a part-time secretary and bookkeeper. my grandparents were farmers who didn't have indoor plumbing until think mom went to junior high school. my dad's dad was a machinist for 42 years at barbara coleman in rockford illinois. my brother and i have thought back through the years and we realized we didn't inherit fame or fortune from our family. what we got is the belief that if you work hard and you play by the rules, you can do and be anything. fighting for. when we help -- when he help people when we help people

adults are able to work transition from government dependance to true independence we help more people live that piece of the american dream. we have a program right here in wisconsin that requires people to be signed up for one of our employ ability training programs one of our job training programs before they can get a welfare check. and now as of the budget i just signed we make the same requirement to make sure people can pass a drug test before they get a welfare check. that's right. now, you can only imagine what the defenders of the status quo thought when i proposed these reforms. they said i was making it harder to get government assistance. my reply? no. i'm making it easier to get a job. isn't that what it's all about?

now, you know strong families are important in this whole role as well. you see, we know that children are raised in a household with both parents involved are more likely to finish school to get a good job, to live a life free of government dependance. we need a federal government that will actually stand up and support strong families by getting rid of the marriage penalty, by getting rid of policies welfare policies that make it hard for fathers to play an active role in the lives of their children. we need to encourage families. i know thinking about my own family i know for me both my parents were so important for david and me as we grew up as kids. now for my wife and i, we try to be good role models for matt and alex and they've turned out pretty well. i'd say they're pretty impressive to watch.

we're so proud of them. and i think about that. i think about matt and i think about alex and i think about all the others in their generation. for them, i want them to grow up in a more free and process prus country. that's really about the american dream there. now, to ensure that prosperity we need to be for a pro-growth economic plan that enables our individuals and our families to earn to save to achieve their piece of the american dream. now, there's a real contrast out there. instead of the top-down government knows the best approach that you hear from so many in washington, we need to build the economy from the ground up in a way that's new and fresh, organic and dynamic, that says as long as you don't violate the health and safety of your neighbor go out and start your own career. build your own business. live your own life.

you see, that's freedom. the kind of freedom that's the cornerstone of the american dream. so we've got a plan to help more people live that dream. a plan that will help more people create more jobs and higher wages. you know what it starts with? we need to repeal obamacare once and for all. we need to repeal the so-called affordable care act and put patients and families back in charge of their health care decisions, not the federal government. many of you here know when i first became governor i literally allowed the state to join the federal lawsuit against

obamacare my very first day. we need a president who on the first day will call on the congress to once and for all repeal obamacare entirely. then then we need to rein in the out-of-control federal regulations that are like a blanket on the nation's economy. sure, enforce common sense, but let's get rid of the bureaucratic red tape. as governor i called for a moratorium on new regulations. we can do the same in washington. and then we can repeal all the other band obama other bad obama regulations to get this economy going again. next next we need to put in place an all the above energy policy that says we're going to use the abundance of what god

has given us here in america and on this continent. that's right. we are an energy-rich country. and we can literally start refueling our economic recovery. we need a president who on day one will approve the keystone pipeline. that's right. approve that pipeline and put in place a plan to level the playing field for all the forms of energy. and then we need to help people get the education and the skills that they need to succeed. because we know if we do that we can help people find careers that pay far more than the minimum wage. here in wisconsin, we reform public education. and we provided more quality choices. quality choices for families. you see, i trust families and i

trust parents to make the right decision for their children. i believe that every child, every child, regardless of zip code or background or what their parent does for a living i believe that every child deserves access to a great education, be it at a public or charter or choice or private or virtual or homeschool education. every child deserves access to a great education. that's why i want to work -- along with that i want to make sure we have high standards. but those standards should be set at the local level. no common core. no nationwide scoreboard.

that's why i'll work so hard to take power and money out of washington and send it back to our states and our schools where it's more effective, more efficient, and more accountable to the american people. now, think about this. if you were to take a dollar off your purse or your wallet, where would you rather spend that? in washington? or at your child's school? i'd rather spend it at your child's school. if you give me the chance we're going to send those dollars back to help your child at your school. and then and then we need to lower the burden on our taxpayers so you can keep more of your hard-earned dollar.

we need to do that for individuals, we need to do that for individuals as well as job creators because we need to make our job creators competitive again in the world so they can bring more jobs back from overseas to put more of our fellow americans back to work right here in america. and you know what? we can do it. we can do it because we did it in wisconsin and we can do it in washington. now, some people wonder why i spend so much time focused on lowering the tax burden here and why i want to do it in washington. well some of you know that tonette and i like to shop at kohl's. over the years i've learned if i want to buy a new shirt i go go to that rack that says it was $29.99 now it's $19.99. then we go to the cash register and get out the insert from the

sunday newspaper, the scratch-off one there, or maybe the flier we got back at home where you get 15% or 20% or if you're really lucky 30% off, right? you know what i'm talking about. and then as the clerk is ringing it up tonette scoops into her purse and pulls out some of that kohl's cash. next thing you know they're paying me to buy the shirt. right? not really but it seems like it right? how does a great company like kohl's make money? they make it off of volume right? they can charge that higher price and a few of you could afford it. but they lower the price, broaden the base and they make more money off of value. that's how i think about your money, the taxpayers' money. the government can charge you a higher rate and some of us could afford it. if you lower the rate broaden the base we expand the volume of people who can participate in the economy.

years ago, years ago we used to call that a similar plan successful under president ronald reagan. back then we used to call it the laugher curve. today i call it the kohl's curve. i believe you can spend your money far better than the federal government, when we do the economy will get a whole lot better. to process tear however, we need to live in a safe and stable world. that's why i'm for true safety. the commander in chief has a sacred duty to protect the american people. in my lifetime the best president when it comes to national security and foreign policy was a governor from california.

under his leadership we rebuilt the military. we stood up for our allies. we stood up to our enemies. and without apology we stood for american values. that led to one of the most peaceful times in modern american history. sadly, today, under the clinton -- under the obama/clinton doctrine america is leading from behind. and that has us headed toward a disaster. think about this. we got a president a president, who drew a line in the sand and allowed it to be crossed. a president who called isis the jv squad. yemen a success story. and iran a place we can do

business with. iran. think about that. when my brother david and i were kids i can still remember we used to tie ribbons around the tree in front of our house during the 444 days that iran held 52 americans hostage. one of those hostages was kevin hermaning who grew up down the way in oak creek. kevin was the youngest of the hostages. a marine who'd just been assign assigned to serve at the u.s. embassy in tehran. kevin hermaning is here today with us.

iran hasn't changed much since the day he and the other hostages were released on president reagan's first day in office. looking ahead, we need to terminate the bad deal with iran on the very first day in office. t in place crippling economic sanctions on iran and convince our allies to do exactly the same thing.

earlier this year president obama declared he proclaimed that the greatest threat to future generations is global warming. climate change. well mr. president, i respectfully disagree. the greatest threat to future generations is radical islamic terrorism, and we need to do something about it. on our military personnel already in iraq. and empower them to help our kurd and sunni allies reclaim the territory taken by isis. because you know what? on behalf of your children and mine i'd rather take the fight to them instead of wait till

they bring the fight to us. treating israel like an ally. there should be no daylight between our two countries. that's why early this year when i went to israel i not only met with the prime minister i met with the opposition leader to let them know that if i were president, there would be no daylight between the united states and israel going forward.

we need to stop the aggression of russia into sovereign nations. you see, putin, putin believes in the old lenin principle that you probe with bayonets. if you find mush you push. under obama and clinton, putin has found a whole lot of mush over the last few years. the united states needs a foreign policy that will put steel in front of our enemies. we need to stop china's cyber attacks, slow their advances into international waters and speak out about their abysmal human rights record. we need to have the capacity to protect our national security

interests here and abroad and those of our allies. that begins that begins with rebuilding the defense budget by going back to the levels proposed by secretary of defense gates. we need to honor our men and women in uniform by giving them the resources that they need to make us safe and going forward by giving them the quality and timely health care that they deserve when they return home. win. you see, this is important. our goal should be peace.

but there will be times when america must fight. and if we must, americans fight to win. and no worse enemy than the united states of america. >> usa, uusa usa, usa, usa! >> america, america is a great country. it's a great country. and you know what? we just have to start leading

again. it's not too late. we can do it because we've done it before. think about it. veterans like clair conn and bob turner remind me that what makes america great, what makes us exceptional, what makes us the greatest country in all of the world, has been all throughout our history. in time of crisis be it economic or fiscal be it military or spiritual, there have been men and women of courage who have been willing to stand up and think more about future generations than they thought about their own political futures. ladies and gentlemen this is one of those times in american history.

we are -- we are so honored to have you join with us here today as we officially announce that we are running to serve as your president of the united states of america. and daughters like them to grow up in a country that is as

great, as great as the country we inherited. americans deserve a president who will fight and win for them. someone -- someone who will stand up for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. someone who will stand up for our religious freedoms and all of our other constitutional rights. someone who will stand up for america. you see, it doesn't matter whether you come from a big city or a suburb or a small town.

i will fight and win for you. healthy -- [ applause ] healthy or sick born or unborn i will fight on win for you. [ applause ] young or old or anywhere in between, i will fight and win for you. over the years i've met some amazing people many of whom have come here from other places around the world. i have to tell you to a person the people i've met like that say the reason they came here was not to become dependent on the government.

the reason they came here is america was fun of the few places left in the world where it doesn't matter what class you were born into or what your parents did for a living. in america you can do and be anything you want. that's the american spirit. [ applause ] you see, in america the opportunities should be equal for all of us. but the outcome, well that's up to each and every one of us here and across this great country. that's why we just took a day off to celebrate the fourth of july and not the 15th of april because in america we celebrate our independence from the government not our dependence on it. [ applause ] that's why i love america.

that's why we -- we -- we love america. and that's why working together we can fight and win for america. thank you for coming out. god bless you all for being here. god bless our military and may god continue to bless the united states of america. the wisconsin governor scott walker making it official right there in wisconsin announcing he's running for president of the united states. he becomes the 15th republican candidate to make this formal announcement. we expect one more, john kasich the governor of ohio to do it as early as next week. we have full analysis. our political team is standing by. let's take a quick break. much more on what's going on right after this. big day? ah, the usual.

moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. developing some of the highest quality nutrition isn't easy so at gnc, why do we do it? why do we work to deliver

clinically studied products to fill the world's nutrition gaps? why do we insist on the most stringent quality checks period? well, here's why... ♪ ♪ celebrating 80 years of quality life and quality products. and we're just getting started. gnc. if you qualify for a sittingham's card today i can offer you no interest for 24 months. thanks to the tools and help at experian.com, i know i have an 812 fico score, so i definitely qualify. so what else can you give me? same day delivery. the ottoman? thank you. fico scores are used in 90% of credit decisions. so get your credit swagger on. go to experian.com become a member of experian credit tracker and take charge of your score.

this is the story of a family who was constantly on tripadvisor. they would browse through real travellers' photos... he would practice. (bark) they would read helpful hotel reviews... he would practice. (bark) until one day... . book! book!

book! book! over 200 sites checked to find the best price. so don't just visit tripadvisor... book! at tripadvisor my name is jose lopez. i'm a troubleman in san francisco. i've been with the company for 29 years. a troubleman restores and troubleshoots electrical issues, getting customers' power back on. we're 24/7, 365 days a year. i love my job. going up in the bucket and seeing all of san francisco, it's an exhilarating feeling. i was born and raised in san francisco. this is where i live and there's a sense of pride in providing great power to our customers. when i go out there and get their power back on, there's a great sense of satisfaction. together, we're building a better california.

we just heard the wisconsin governor scott walker announce he's running for president of the united states the 15th republican canneddidate to do so. sarah murray is there in wisconsin pretty warmly received i see. >> reporter: yeah he really was. this was sort of his moment to introduce himself to the american public more broadly. he talked a little bit about what he would do if he were elected president. the goal was to make him look

presidential still touch on that every man, shots at kohl's. >> gloria he's obviously atop the polls in iowa going into the iowa caucuses wisconsin a neighboring state. >> he leads donald trump 18% to 10%. obviously a midwesterner he connects on the stump, as we see. the big question about him is whether a sports metaphor you probably never heard from me before is whether he can hit major league pitching. we don't know that yet. he's made some mistakes early on and we've got to see how he plays in the long term. doing very well in iowa. very important. >> our political commentator also writes for the new yorker magazine. how did he do? >> from a performance level he was great, one of the best of the 15 i've watched. he's a great performer. the big question he's running on his victories against unions

political victories in wisconsin. there's a hunger out there for bipartisanship in washington and the question is is that enough to run on your partisan victories? >> he's going to have some competition in iowa, ted cruz mike huckabee rick santorum. >> a lot of competition. so many times with these campaigns they play the expectations game i don't necessarily have to win iowa. they're not even pretending insidewalker world. he has to win iowa. that is the key. he has been doing very well in iowa. he had a very good speech out of the gate several months ago that really drew people towards him and what he is hoping and they're hoping in his campaign is that that key theme you heard, not only is he able to win elections but he's able to fight and win those fights. that's really at the core that he thinks separates himself from some of the senators and some of the other governors. >> we'll see how he does in the first major nationally televised

interview because he's going to be asked presumably some serious, tough questions on foreign policy issues maybe not yet his strength. he's been learning guys. we'll have a lot more coming up. that's it for me. thank you for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." erin burnett right now. "out front" tonight, breaking news. negotiators on a historic nuclear deal with iran. we are waiting for an announcement. it could come at any moment. plus an international manhunt for one of the most brutal killers escaping from a maximum security prison through a mile-long tunnel. where could he be tonight? a boy dies after swimming in a lake. our special report. let's go "out front." good evening. i'm erin burnett. "out front" tonight we begin