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CNN's The Arena with Kasie Hunt
Iran War Sends Gas, Oil Prices To Highest Levels Since 2022; Democratic Governor Janet Mills Abruptly Ends Maine Senate Bid; House GOP Concedes In DHS Funding Fight, Ending Shutdown; Secret Service Director: Suspect Shot Agent With Shotgun. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired April 30, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: Hi, everyone. Welcome to THE ARENA. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's great to have you with us on this Thursday.
Right now, gas prices, you may have noticed, are climbing higher and higher as the war with Iran nears a key deadline.
Today, the national average price for a gallon of gas jumped to $4.30. That is up 37 cents since last week, and it is the highest that gas has been in almost four years. Those numbers driving home the price that everyday Americans are paying because of the war with Iran.
And it just may be why Senate Democrats sounded like this today at a hearing with the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): Gasoline and fertilizer prices throughout the world have surged.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY): Higher prices for both fuel for diesel, for gasoline, for their cars.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Energy costs are skyrocketing.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Prices are rising for nearly every American family.
SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): Americans are being crushed by higher costs.
SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): The American public is feeling it in their pocketbooks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Tomorrow will mark 60 days since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury and under the War Powers Act. That is the deadline for President Donald Trump to wrap it up or to seek congressional authorization. A fragile ceasefire remains in place as is, as does an American naval blockade of Iran's ports. This afternoon, Iran's president denounced the blockade as a continuation of hostilities, not so, argues Secretary Hegseth, who now says that the War Powers Act is functionally on hold.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Ultimately, I would I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that. However, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire. So --
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): I --
HEGSETH: So, we're not in -- that's -- it's our understanding, just so you know.
KAINE: Okay, well, I do not believe the statue would support that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, let's get off the sidelines, head into THE ARENA. My panel is here.
But we're going to get started with CNNs senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes.
Kristen, always good to see you.
There's a few headlines to tick through from the president on Iran. He just spoke to reporters at some length. And there's the status of talks versus no talks. The renewed pushback on gas prices as they continue to go up.
What else do we hear from the president today?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT : Yeah. And, Kasie, actually, Pete Hegseth just arrived here. Remember, we've been reporting all day that President Trump is being briefed on all of his options when it comes to Iran. So we've seen the vice president, we've seen Pete Hegseth, and we'll see if any of these other primary principals end up coming in right now.
But on the headlines, when it comes to Iran, a couple of notable factors. President Trump would not answer this question on whether or not he wants to resume the ceasefire, given the fact that negotiations seem stalled, he really didn't address it at all. And in fact, kind of pushed back on the reporting that the Iranians were stubborn, that these negotiations weren't going, saying no one knows how the talks are going, but a very small group of people.
Now, he also, as you noted, brought up those gas prices, pushing back on the increase that we've seen. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: The average price of a gallon of gas is now $4.30 in this country.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And, you know, we're not going to have a nuclear weapon in the hands of Iran, but the gas will go down as soon as the war is over. It will drop like a rock. Theres so much of it. It's all over the place, sitting all over the oceans of the world. And it'll be -- it'll go down.
But what won't happen is if Iran had a nuclear weapon and used it, then the whole world is a different place. You're not going to have to pay a little bit more for gasoline. The gasoline, the oil will go down rapidly as soon as the war is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, there's still so many questions, right, Kasie? When is the war going to be over? And how quickly will these gas prices go down? We also know President Trump has told his advisers that he wants to extend the naval blockade, which, of course, will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, which will likely drive up gas prices even higher than they already are.
And one other point here, which is tangentially related to Iran, I mean, this idea that he would be withdrawing troops from the countries of our allies, he had already said this about Germany, but he added, Italy and Spain. All of this because he says these countries haven't helped him with the war in Iran. I mean, this would be very detrimental even just to U.S. presence in Europe.
I mean, that's also why we have forces there. It's not just protection of the other countries, it's our protection and our location so that we have a presence in every continent.
HUNT: All right. Kristen Holmes, for us with the latest at the White House -- Kristen, thanks very much for that.
My panel is here in THE ARENA. National political reporter for CNN, political analyst Alex Thompson; CNN contributor, "New York Times" journalist, host of "The Interview," Lulu Garcia-Navarro; Democratic strategist, former senior adviser to the Biden and Harris campaigns, Adrienne Elrod; and Republican strategist and former adviser to the Romney campaign, Kevin Madden.
We are also joined by "New York Times" White House and national security correspondent and CNN political analyst, national security analyst David Sanger.
Welcome to all of you. Thank you very much for being here.
David. I like the addition of this rocking chair to your live shot. It's very elegant. I vote for this.
(LAUGHTER)
HUNT: I want to start with you on kind of the state of play in the region here, because there was a word used at the hearing yesterday when Hegseth spoke to members of the House. And it's a -- it's a word that, you know, gives a lot of people a lot of nasty flashbacks. The word is quagmire.
And I'm interested to know your assessment as someone who has really covered this region deeply, do you think that is a fair assessment of where we stand? Because its possible gas prices are a quagmire, for sure. The president seems to say, oh, it'll be over soon and everything will just snap right back to where it was.
What say you?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I don't think it's a quagmire yet, which suggests that you're into something that you can't get away from. You know, the president could just pack up and go home. Except it would be politically disastrous to show that you've had a 60-day war and nothing to show for it, other than the closing of the strait.
But I would say that were at a point of stalemate. And the reason that were at a point of stalemate is that the president doesn't want to start attacking in Iran again for political reasons. Obviously, he's discovered that that -- those attacks don't translate into the kind of political concessions he's expecting, including giving up the stockpile of nuclear fuel and giving up the right to enrich uranium in the future.
And I think the third reason is that there is not one blockade underway here right now, but two, an Iranian one north of the strait and the American one just out outside the strait. And so, as a result, we're all sort of stuck here in this stalemated position. And the president seems to believe that if you just stick with the existing strategy, the Iranians will, as he put it the other day, cry uncle. And I'm not sure there's any evidence to indicate that's the case.
HUNT: Certainly seems that way so far. Alex Thompson the political realities of this for the president, I mean, let's put up the average gas prices as of today, $4.30 a week ago, it was $4.03 before the war, $2.98. That is sort of like a billboard that Americans can drive by every day, telling them the state of play. And when affordability is the top issue, how long can the president wait this out?
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Affordability was already the top issue before the Iran war. It is even more of an issue now, which is why if you talk to Republicans, obviously, publicly, they say we feel very confident. We feel very good.
Republican strategists, the ones that will be honest with you, are privately saying they are terrified of a protracted engagement here. And I have to say, some Democrats, you know, especially ones that remember 2022 with Joe Biden, are, you know, sort of, you know, smiling to themselves and smirking a little bit of like, how difficult it is because the Trump administration kept saying, Q1 of 2026, that's when the economy is really going to take off.
And if you go back to 2022, Joe Biden, his administration was saying the same, the same thing. But then you had an energy shock because the Russia, Ukraine war and it made inflation go through the roof.
HUNT: Yeah. Well, we have a Republican strategist.
KEVIN MADDEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: And an honest one, too.
HUNT: So what do you think?
MADDEN: Maybe Alex needs to call me more often.
No, I think -- I think that's exactly right. The affordability issue, inflation cost concerns is a very big issue. I think the most problematic part about it politically is the everyday nature of it.
So, if you look at what people are really worried about when it comes to cost, it's food prices. Every time they go shopping, they're reminded of it. Health care costs every time they go to the doctor or the hospital, they see that. And now when you have rising energy prices.
So that is the problem. And the other thing is the nature of how the White House is messaging on this is a challenge because when you say that this is instantaneously going to happen, nothing in the economy happens instantaneously. So, managing those expectations and rightsizing those expectations to keep gas prices more manageable during this crisis is really where the White House has to put their attention.
HUNT: President Trump does not seem to subscribe to the axiom under promise and over deliver, you know?
Lulu, how do you see this?
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think it's a disaster for Republicans. The thing though, that I'm hearing from Democrats doesn't actually seem to be very positive either. Yes. They're capitalizing on this. Yes. They're pointing out the prices are high. Sure, they are.
And, and I think that's always been the problem with Democrats. It's the "and". It's the what comes after that particular message that makes people want to join your side unless we're going to continue on this pendulum of always voting the bums out.
That's where we've been all this time. Vote the bums out. We're going to go to the side, vote the bums out. We're going to go to this side.
[16:10:06]
And it just --
HUNT: Swings are getting wider and wider.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The swings are getting are getting wider and wider and more unpredictable.
And frankly, I don't think it's very good for democracy. So, yes, Republicans in a tough in a tough spot. But my estimation, Democrats aren't really doing what they need to be doing.
HUNT: Well, Adrienne, I'm interested in your assessment on that because sort of as I sat and looked at it right after the president was reelected or elected to a second term, right after Biden, right, there were -- there was so much soul-searching among Democrats, they were demoralized. A lot of people didn't understand how this could have happened again.
And the question I had was -- well, are they going to look around and actually learn lessons and apply them and win that way? Or was the president going to do many of the types of things he seems to have subsequently done, and basically make it so Democrats can win, having learned nothing? Where do you think the party is?
ADRIENNE ELROD, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I mean, look at Kasie. This is the big question. I think about this all the time, whereas once we get some power back and I think we're going to take back the house and we may take back the Senate, we're going to flip some governor's races, and then we're going to go into a very heavily contested primary in 2027, for 2028. I think about this a lot because I have seen this pendulum swing many times, and I've also seen not just Democrats, but Republicans get control and get power back. They don't always have a plan to put forward either.
So, I am hoping and I and I do believe -- I have strong faith in Hakeem Jeffries when he becomes speaker of the House. We need to continue to hold the administration to account, but we've got to have our forward looking agenda that not only talks about how we're going to reduce prices for the American people, but shows the American people how we're going to actually get that done.
Because, Kasie, you know very well, if we only have the control of the House, we don't have the Senate, we don't have the White House, there's still very little we can do, but we still have to show the American people what that plan is, what that path is, and how we're going to get it done.
HUNT: Yeah, we're going to really dig into the Senate in the next block. When we look at the main race.
But one thing, Kevin, that stood out to me was Tucker Carlson again, stepping out against President Trump and saying, you know, it's not necessarily for the first time, but perhaps in stronger terms than ever that he regrets working with president Trump, working to get president Trump elected, all because of the Iraq war. I mean, what do you think the ripple effects of this are going to be, as Republicans also grapple with? And Adrienne mentioned the Democratic primary is going to be a fascinating story. I have to say. But the Republican side, no less.
MADDEN: Yeah. And it's a flashing red signal because, you know, when you head into a midterm election, you know, one of the most important things is base enthusiasm. And we know right now that Democrats have a very enthusiastic base. They may not be happy about their own candidates, right? But they are really energized to come out and try to hold the president accountable with their midterm vote. So, if there's even a little bit of a fracture amongst that Republican
base, it does become problematic for many of these candidates because there are also bleeding independent voters right now. So, you know, really sort of rallying and offering a clear message to Republicans about what they're trying to do on things like the affordability and the economy, what the clear mission here was to get these voters back and then start to go and grab the big middle of the electorate. That's really going to be the key for 2026 midterm strategy.
HUNT: Yeah.
David Sanger, when we kind of look at this big picture, I mean, what is the interest for the Iranians in terms of in terms of the timing of this, as you look at it right now? I mean, we've obviously had many conversations, you know, and I think the axiom is what time. And in America time is money. And in Iran, time is time. I don't know if you subscribe to that, but what, if any, time pressure the Iranians under right now?
SANGER: Well, the time pressure they're under is the fact that their economy is even in worse shape than before. And if they're not shipping out their own oil, their revenue is coming down to zero. But they also have an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that benefits from the black market when sanctions are on. They're the ones who profit the most from that.
And they also are -- don't have to be terribly responsive to their publics. They don't have the kind of immediate pressure of people going on about gas prices, you know, on TV. I think it's worth, just digging in a little more to what Lulu said before, which I think was exactly on target about what the Democrats are saying about this.
We heard a critique of the -- of the Republican approach here and of President Trump's approach, but I haven't heard from the Democrats what they would go do. There's a lot of gap between what the president says, which is if you don't like what I'm doing, you must want the Iranians to get a nuclear weapon.
Well, of course, the Democrats don't want the Iranians to get a nuclear weapon. That's what the whole Obama era deal was all about. But I haven't heard the Democrats come out and say, look, there is a way to get this done other than overwhelming military pressure that puts us on this clock to the 60-day declaration of war.
[16:15:03]
It would be interesting to hear a few ideas from them.
HUNT: Sure would. Somehow, you know, campaigning is a lot easier, a lot less demanding than governing.
SANGER: A lot easier. Yeah.
HUNT: David Sanger, thank you.
All right. Coming up here in THE ARENA, inside the sudden reversal today by House Republicans on DHS funding. But first, new questions about how Democratic leaders are reading the room after the major jolt in one of the year's most important midterm races. It's a race the party's got to win if they want to take back control of the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM PLATNER (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDAE: We are now taking back our power. That is what this campaign is. We will defeat Susan Collins. We will go to Washington, and we will start tearing down the system that for too long has forgotten and written off the people who make Maine and this country what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLATNER: Governor Mills has dedicated her career to this beautiful state, and we're all eternally grateful for her service. We both got into this race because we knew how critical it is to defeat Susan Collins and her decision today reflects a commitment to that project. I look forward to working closely with her between now and November to do just that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: That right there was Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who will now all but certainly be the one to face off against the state's Republican incumbent, Susan Collins, in the general election this fall following the stunning, albeit not entirely surprising, exit of Maine's current governor, Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign this morning, citing a lack of financial resources.
Despite a series of controversies, including being forced to cover up a tattoo with Nazi imagery, Platner, who is a 41-year-old oyster farmer, has surged ahead in recent primary polling, buoyed by a folksy persona that stood in sharp contrast to 78-year-old party stalwart Mills.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLATNER: When I tell people around here that I'm running for senate, sometimes the initial reaction is what the (EXPLETIVE DELETED). But --
GOV. JANET MILLS (D), MAINE: Washington is broken. We've got to reform Congress. So, I'm running for the Senate to go to D.C. and change who's in the Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: You can see the contrast on your screen for yourself and the exit of Mills can really be seen as a blow to the Democratic establishment, which has lobbied heavily to get her into the race and largely shrugged off Platner's popularity. His unexpected surge reminding one populist Democrat of her own race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I think that when I see what -- what Graham Platner is doing, frankly, I see a lot of resonance in the way I ran my race in 2018, which is like, you are out in the street every day. I know that that's what has helped me, my proximity to my community
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: My panel is back, and we're also joined by Democratic strategist Chris Meagher. He helped advise the Mills campaign. He's also worked for a number of other Democratic candidates.
So, Chris, I'm going to start with you and then open this up. I think the panel has a lot to say about this topic today, because there's so much to pull on here.
I know it's tough for any strategist who's worked on a campaign. It's a tough day. I always want to acknowledge that this is a human endeavor, and I know you put work into this, but as you look back on it, why do you think it played out like this?
CHRIS MEAGHER, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Democrats see Maine as an opportunity. Susan Collins is one of the most vulnerable senators on the map this year. She's the second most unpopular senator in the entire United States senator. Her polling is absolutely horrible. Donald Trump's polling in the state.
HUNT: Right. But why did Mills have to drop out is what I'm asking.
MEAGHER: Yeah, well, she ran out of money. You know, I was working with Janet Mills because I think that she's a fighter. She's the only Democrat who had won in Maine in the last 20 years to win statewide office. Graham Platner brings something different to the table. He obviously captivated people in Maine with a message that was resonating. He was out beating the streets.
You know, it was two different kind of offerings. And the people of Maine, we're certainly leaning in one direction. But I think the point here is that we can beat Susan Collins in November.
HUNT: All right. Fair enough. I want to bring the conversation back here. And this is one of these things where I would really encourage all of you to let our viewers see what you were talking about off screen, most of which I think actually it's not always safe for air. I'm going to be totally honest, totally honest. But I think most of this one was pretty safe for air.
I mean, Adrienne Elrod, this clearly was a case where Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats, worked really hard to get Janet Mills to run. And clearly completely misread the room. ELROD: Yeah. He did. I mean, I have some close friends in Maine, and
they will tell you that they just don't think that an establishment 79-year-old woman is going to beat an establishment 74-year-old woman. It's just not going to work.
Platner has brought in a whole sea of new voters. He's exciting younger voters. He's bringing some of the working class voters back into the party. He's drawing crowds of 800 to 1,000 in places that normally get 50 or 60. He's resonating with voters.
And look, I mean, we were sort of talking about how Schumer really missed the mark on this one. I do think that perhaps at the beginning of the cycle, he might have thought that this was the right way to go. And we've seen things change because everything feels very fleeting sometimes in politics.
But the bottom line is, I'm glad to hear Mills say that she's excited to support Platner. He's going to need her. Because I think one of the big questions that some people have had is, are some of the female voters who are going to vote for Mills in the primary, are they going to switch over and vote for Collins?
[16:25:07]
Because Platner does have some, you know, negative and some problems.
HUNT: Yeah, let's stick through that, because I do -- I don't think we should overlook this. And this is part of why Democrats were looking for an alternative. We here at CNN reported this, our KFILE did, quote, in deleted social media posts. Platner denigrated the police, said rural white Americans actually are racist and stupid. Platner has disavowed the posts and others that have surfaced, saying that they don't reflect who he is today.
Platner has also faced extensive scrutiny over the discovery of a tattoo on his chest, featuring an image resembling a Nazi symbol. He said that he regretted getting it and had it covered.
Kevin, I mean, you know how these things work.
MADDEN: Yeah.
HUNT: I mean, this stuff Republicans are going to have a field day.
MADDEN: Yeah. I mean, to answer the question, why is it that Chuck Schumer panicked and went looking for Janet Mills? It's because he's very hyper aware of how tough this resume is. And Janet Mills may not have had the money to drive this contrast in a primary. But you know who has the money to drive it in a general election, who does a really good job of raising money and is well stocked right now? Susan Collins.
And so, the Susan Collins -- and Susan Collins, just one last point.
HUNT: Yeah, finish your -- MADEN: Susan Collins is like, say what? Say what you want. She is
facing a very difficult political environment right now. Right. But Susan Collins, better than any candidate that I've ever seen out there in my history of working in politics, does a better job of really customizing and getting out of the national jet stream and customizing a message directly to the state that she cares about and the voters that she cares about.
So, I think she's going to be a very formidable and she's very well- positioned in this general election.
HUNT: Alex?
THOMPSON: Well, it wasn't just Susan Collins, but it's the outside groups from the Republican Party that have already earmarked tens of millions of dollars. Now, this is tens of millions of dollars that Janet Mills did not have. Janet Mills went on, you know, up on the air with a few ads, but as Chris was saying, did not have the financial ability to actually drive that message home.
So, while there has been a lot of media coverage of Graham Platner, there has not been a sustained attack ad campaign against him. And now I think this is what is making Chuck Schumer nervous is that they actually don't know.
And it sets up a huge test for the left wing of the Democratic Party to show, because they argue that actually person like Graham Pplatner, because he's more relatable, because he's younger, is actually more electable than the more moderate candidate. Now they have a real test to see if that's true.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Counterpoint. I think there's just like a lot of insurgent energy right now, especially on the left. I think people want to see something different. They feel like the system has not worked for them. They are persuadable in the sense of trying something new. And I think the same old, same old isn't going to cut it.
And of all the people who is the poster child for that, I would say Susan Collins is that person. She represents the entrenched establishment that has, yes, managed to survive. But at the same time really doesn't have a constituency anymore.
HUNT: It seems like in some ways, you're agreeing with each other in that Alex is saying, look, we've got a big test here, right? Who's right about this? Are the Democrats who are looking for moderate candidates because they think they're more electable. And that's what the establishment has done for a long time. Are they right? Or are you right in that this energy is really the only way to win?
I want to play. Platner spoke with Jon Stewart on his podcast yesterday and had some really interesting things to say. And actually, Lulu and Alex, I think this sort of sets both of you up nicely. Be interested to hear what you think. It's a little bit long, but I think it's worth listening to. Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PLATNER: There has been more reach out from, I would say more kind of like establishment folks. However, however, and this is the important part, not from like the, not from like the DSCC, not from the DNC, like the -- like nobody in the places of power remains interested.
I'm not asking for you to like, be my friend. I'm just -- but you should be curious because I'm polling 40 points ahead.
JON STEWART, HOST: Right.
PLATNER: Like -- like at least -- at least just reach out and be like, hey what are you actually? Because we've never -- they've never -- they've never spoken ever. I've never gotten a phone call. Like no one's ever reached out. I've never talked to anybody in leadership. I've like, no one's ever been interested in ever, which is like kind of baffling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Kind of baffling. The man does seem to have a point.
THOMPSON: Which is so funny because today, after Janet Mills dropped out, you then saw those same committees, then celebrate their new best friend Graham Platner, who is -- who is their only hope of really --
HUNT: Who is now their only friend.
THOMPSON: Their only friend. Well, he is one of perhaps, maybe their only hope of taking back the Senate this cycle because it is almost impossible for Democrats to retake the Senate if they do not beat Susan Collins. And the fact that there is no real relationship there. If anything, it's a toxic, seemingly toxic relationship is a potential warning sign for how this campaign could go.
[16:30:00]
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, because why? You are running as an outsider, and now you are going to have to embrace all the money and the support of the establishment Democrats. And so that becomes a very difficult message to manage.
ELROD: I think. But the question begs, but will he? I mean, Schumer is deeply unpopular in some of these areas, especially with the Democratic base. And so, I think to your point, the question is, can he still sort of run against the Washington establishment while also sort of having to embrace him a little bit to ensure that there is money coming into the state to support his campaign?
HUNT: Well, you know, who pioneered a model for this, being deeply unpopular with their base while still leading the party is Mitch McConnell.
Chris, before I let you go, you obviously were running a primary campaign against Graham Platner, helping to do it. When you look at the landscape, do you think that the Platner team is prepared to survive the onslaught that's coming? MEAGHER: That's a good question. I think Kevin raised a good point.
You know, the Mills campaign was up on air with some pretty powerful advertising against Graham Platner. But it is nothing, absolutely nothing compared to what Republicans are going to be throwing at Graham Platner. And so, I think they need to giddy up and get ready. And hopefully they will be.
You know, he's been a pretty dynamic fundraiser himself. So hopefully he'll be able to compete in that space. But Republicans have been kind of licking their chops ready to go here. So, he needs to be ready for those attacks to come.
HUNT: Yeah. I'm really interested to see -- you know, I covered Bernie Sanders in '16 and again in some of his later presidential races. And whether that fundraising model is something that continues to work for him. I -- honestly, my money is on. Yes, but as you point out, it's going to be a really big test.
Chris Meagher, thank you. I hope you'll come back.
All right. Coming up next here in THE ARENA, Senator Chris Van Hollen will be here live after another tense day on Capitol Hill for the defense secretary.
Plus, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting is back in court today. And the president hints at possible changes to the security apparatus around him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can only say that I know a lot of those people that Secret Service, and they were -- they were good, and they were forceful. And I saw the guys in front of me. They were powerful looking guys. I said, we could send them to Hollywood. They could make -- they could make movies.
I think that there's always room for improvement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:36:52]
HUNT: Welcome back.
After 75 days of shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security is just about to be fully up and running, pending a signature from President Trump. After an extended stalemate and weeks of GOP infighting, the House passed a package today to fund the TSA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and other agencies, but notably, DHS immigration enforcement arms will not yet be funded.
Joining me now is Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
Senator, thanks very much for being here. Immigration is, of course, an issue that you've worked on heavily here in the second Trump administration. What's your view of what Republicans finally did today after all of this time, with most of DHS being shut down and going ahead and opening the department, with the exception of these two agencies, you want to change.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Well, Kasie, good to be with you.
"Finally" is the right word. I mean, House Republicans should have taken up and voted on this bill as soon as it passed the Senate. I think it was 34 days ago. They've caused a lot of unnecessary pain to both these agencies like TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA, and to the American public.
And I will say that before that, Senate Republicans held it up here in the Senate, Democrats pushed for weeks and weeks and weeks to say, let's fund TSA. Let's fund the Coast Guard, let's fund FEMA. Let's not hold those parts of DHS hostage to our negotiations over ICE.
And we've been very clear we will not spend one penny for a lawless, out of control ice operation without meaningful reforms. This is an agency that killed, shot and killed two American citizens and then called them domestic terrorists.
HUNT: Sir, at what point do you think it's going to become imperative for these agencies to be able to function the way some of these other pieces were -- they were suffering, right? Americans are still with the president on -- especially, border security, right? They want a secure border, even if, of course, there is deep disapproval for many of the actions that you just outlined.
How much time is it going to take to work this out?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, I'm for border security. I think all Americans are for border security, but what they're against is what Trump's ICE has been doing with these mass deportations. In fact, it was interesting a few weeks ago when the White House sent House Republicans a memo saying, don't talk about mass deportations anymore, which, of course, is exactly what they're doing.
I mean, they've detained 60,000 people who overwhelmingly posed no risk to public safety. That's according to DHS -- DHS's own numbers.
So, look, they have been refusing, Kasie, to adopt meaningful reforms. For example, they don't want an independent, meaningful investigation into the shooting deaths of Rene Good and Alex Pretti. Well, it just shows they're not serious.
HUNT: I want to turn now to the story we were just talking about a couple of minutes on the show, and it's, of course, a significant one in your world, which is the Senate Democratic caucus. Janet Mills dropping out of the Democratic primary in Maine, leaving Graham Platner as the likely Democratic nominee for Senate.
And I actually want to play for our viewers, something that you said about a different race, but it's similar in that you were talking about a candidate that the establishment of the Democratic Party had essentially been fighting against, saying that it wasn't something that would be wise for the party to embrace, perhaps, that they couldn't win. This was you talking in Iowa, a critical state, about Zohran Mamdani. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAN HOLLEN: Many Democratic members of the Senate and House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines. That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of. They need to get behind him and get behind him now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Spineless politics. Is that what we saw from the Democratic establishment in pressing for Janet Mills to be the nominee here? And do you think that anyone has learned any lessons from this experience?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, of course, in Iowa, I was talking about the now mayor of New York City, Mayor Mamdani, who was running on a platform of reducing prices and costs on an affordability platform. He'd become the Democratic nominee at that time. And yet you had many members of the Democratic leadership not supporting him.
Look, I've been clear, along with some of my colleagues, that the DSCC made a mistake wading into some of these Democratic primaries, like in Maine, right? The governor has had a great record as governor. But in this case, it was wrong for the DSCC to come in and put its foot on the scale.
Graham Platner was already in the race at the time the DSCC asked Janet Owens to run, and now we've seen the results of, you know, Washington trying to micromanage the electorate. They should stay out of primaries except for in exceptional circumstances. And what we're seeing in Maine is exhibit A.
HUNT: Why do you think voters are looking for a candidate like Graham Platner instead of one like Janet Mills right now?
VAN HOLLEN: I think they're looking for somebody who's going to shake up the status quo. They're absolutely sick and tired of what's happening in the country right now. They want someone who's going to fight over time to push back the Trump lawless agenda, but also somebody who's going to be very clearly standing up for working people, fighting against a rigged economy, standing up against a rigged tax code, someone who's going to fight over time to end this illegal war in Iran, which, by the way, Senator Collins has been with Donald Trump right down the line supporting this -- this illegal war and all the rising costs until today.
She just today voted with us on the war powers resolution. But you have someone like Graham Platner, he's been fighting against this illegal war every day, and he's focused on those pocketbook issues that people really want us to focus on.
HUNT: You keep using the word fight, and I know you and a couple of your colleagues have founded a fight club. Apparently, you talk about fight club. So I'm allowed to ask about fight club.
Can you explain why you need fight club -- if I mean, in theory, you have all of these institutions and establishment established places that are supposed to do it, and yet fight club?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, as you said, I mean, those are the establishment institutions. And in our view, in the fight club members view, those establishment institutions were essentially doing the establishment thing, which was being very cautious at a time when we think voters across the political spectrum want to shake things up, they're unhappy with the status quo, and they want candidates who are going to speak the truth.
And that's why we formed the fight club. It was actually after the failure to support Mamdani, after he won the primary and was in a general election. And it was because the DSCC was weighing in in these primaries and always weighing in on behalf of the more establishment, more cautious candidate when people really are fed up and they want someone who's going to shake things up.
HUNT: Are you thinking about challenging Chuck Schumer for leader of the party after the midterms?
VAN HOLLEN: That's not been on my list. I'm very focused right now on making sure that the Democratic Party wins a majority in 2026. And then very importantly, in 2028, we need to let the American people know were on their side and that we are not going to return just to the pre-Trump status quo, that we're going to shake things up.
[16:45:03]
And I do intend to play a important role in shaping that platform. And exactly what form that will take, we'll have to see.
HUNT: All right. Senator Chris Van Hollen, very interesting answer. I will follow up next time you're here. Thank you for coming.
VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you. Thanks, Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Ahead here in THE ARENA, new details on the investigation into the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner. What the head of the Secret Service is now saying -- now saying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNT: All right. We're getting some new details on the investigation into the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, including how a Secret Service agent was shot during the incident.
Just moments ago, the president says it was, quote, "not friendly fire ".
[16:50:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Well, they say it was not friendly fire.
REPORTER: So, you're hearing that --
TRUMP: Well, that's what I heard. I mean, I heard that they said it wasn't friendly fire. It was actually reported.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller is with us. We're also joined by CNN crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz.
John Miller, I want to play for you what we just heard from the head of the Secret Service. And then, please, I'd love to have you weigh in. Let's watch.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN CURRAN, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: All the evidence that I've seen, the suspect shot our officer point blank range with a shotgun. Our officer heroically returned fire while being shot point blank range in the chest with a shotgun, and was able to get off five shots. It's -- it's great training. The officer just acted heroically. Great job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Wow. Really remarkable details there. And of course, that phrase point-blank range. That's new here.
How do you under -- how does this add to your understanding of what happened?
MILLER: Well, the weapon he had, a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun pump action had one expended round in the chamber, which indicates that he got one round from the shotgun off. The others were still in the in the magazine, and he had additional rounds on the outside of the gun for reloading, but being shot at point blank range by buckshot is something that is really going to hit that vest, but it's not a single bullet. Buckshot is pellets that go, you know, out in a -- in a -- in kind of fan out in a wider direction.
But because it was so close, that would have hit him like a truck. And this is the same agent who got off five rounds while being fired at, none of which hit the suspect, but caused him to apparently dive to the ground, which allowed them to take him into custody.
HUNT: So, Katelyn, you were at the courthouse this morning. What did we learn? Did we learn anything new about the case from the hearing?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kasie, we've learned more about the case in the files filings leading up to the hearing. That's because the defendant, once he got into the courtroom, once he had a chance to talk to his lawyers more today, he said it's fine. He's not going to contest staying in jail. He will stay in jail at this time. But we had seen several court filings, both from the Justice Department, describing where they are in this investigation. Five days into it, and the defense team arguing that this guy is not a danger to the community.
What is interesting about what the secret service director just said is that that phrase, point blank range, that hasn't appeared in court filings at all about what happened here and what I have looked at so far, what we have to date in the court record from the Justice Department and from a sworn FBI affidavit, is that the story is just gradually being filled out. It was very unclear if this man, Cole Allen, even pointed his shotgun toward the agent and fired.
The defense at one point said that in video they have looked at so far, there wasn't even a muzzle flash out of that shotgun. So they're asking questions right now for Cole Allen's defense teams asking the Justice Department, where was this firearm recovered from? Give us more information about it. Did he fire that weapon at the agent?
And so far in court, the extent of this is captured in two sentences or one sentence, even, that the Justice Department wrote yesterday, a U.S. Secret Service officer observed the defendant after he runs through with his shotgun out, fired the shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading the ballroom. So, they took things out about saying he was firing at the agent.
Now, that story changing back, getting more detail. We're just going to have to wait and see how this evolves in court, especially with an ongoing grand jury investigation.
HUNT: For sure. John Miller, one other thing that the Secret Service director also said was that the ballroom site was, quote, set up perfectly by security services. Do you think that's an accurate assessment?
MILLER: Put me in the minority, but I do because I understand from the Secret Service point of view what it was they were protecting. They weren't protecting the entire hotel. They were protecting access to the room, the ballroom, where the Secret Service protectees president, vice president and other officials were.
And this individual tried to breach that that perimeter and was stopped within basically eight seconds of when he started to run. So, from what the mission requirement was, the secret service performed admirably and an accomplished the mission, which is nobody could get past that perimeter.
And had he gotten past that perimeter into the ballroom, there were additional agents downstairs, additional agents by most of the doors and additional agents in the room.
[16:55:05]
So, I think that for the plan they made, the plan worked effectively. The big question is going to be, when this comes around again, are they going to push that perimeter out beyond their protective zone to basically every door of the hotel? The way we see hotels in many foreign countries?
HUNT: Yeah. It's -- I've sort of been reluctant to talk about how I typically get in and out of that dinner, but suffice to say, you can kind of appear right in the center of all of the action and had this person had a different plan, perhaps, you know, they would not have been able to reach the president himself. But many of these administration figures that are also named in that manifesto, totally different story.
Katelyn Polantz, John Miller, thank you both very much. Really appreciate it.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNT: All right. Thanks very much for watching.
"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts right now.
