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The Lead with Jake Tapper
Rubio Says, Iranian Drone Struck Next To U.S. Consulate In Dubai; Trump Says, Worst Is Iran's New Leader Is As Bad As Khamenei; Israel Detects New Wave Of Incoming Missiles From Iran; Voters In Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas Kick Off High-Stakes Midterm Primaries; Pentagon Identifies Four U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iran War. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 03, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[18:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.
We're going to start tonight with breaking news, the war with Iran widening in the Middle East with no clear endgame in sight. France now sending its aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean. French President Emmanuel Macron criticizing the U.S. and Israel, saying that the Iran strikes acted, quote outside international law.
The situation on the ground in the Middle East growing more tumultuous by the day. Video shows the U.S. consulate grounds in Dubai are on fire, hit by a suspected Iranian drone. Three U.S embassies now closed in Lebanon, in Kuwait and in Saudi Arabia. And one day after urging Americans to get out of 14 Middle Eastern countries using essentially non-existent commercial flights, the Trump administration is now working, they say, to secure military aircraft and charter flights to get thousands of stranded Americans to safety.
Explaining why there was no evacuation plan for Americans prior to Saturday's strike against Iran, the president said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, because it happened all very quickly. We thought, and I thought maybe more so than most, I could ask Marco, but I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Asked earlier today, what is the worst case scenario he planned for Iran, the president said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen. We don't want that to happen. It would probably be the worst. You go through this and then in five years you realize you put somebody in who is no better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That begs the question, of course, so what is the plan here and is it achievable?
Let's go now to CNN's Erin Burnett, who's live from Tel Aviv. Erin, another round of Iranian missiles aimed at Israel tonight. It forced you and others to take shelter live on air. Tell us more.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Jake. I mean, that's sort of the way it's going here and, you know, it's unpredictable when the missiles are going to come in from Iran, you know they're going to come, but you don't know when. And I think it's that uncertainty in part that's just this country is obviously in a war zone, but that is kept it on such uncertain footing.
But, you know, there's a warning that comes in on your phone. A few minutes later, you'll start to hear the sirens. And then people do move very quickly for safety because these missiles coming from Iran when they're coming from that direction as opposed to north from Hezbollah. These are cruise missiles. These are ballistic missiles. And there were some, whether they're shrapnel or parts of missiles themselves that actually break through, and that has caused, you know, deadly impact here on the ground in Israel.
You talk about the consulate though, Jake, the fire around the region, not just those embassies closing, but that consulate in Dubai being struck. You know, a senior Emirati official I was talking to said obviously it was closed. And that's the lucky thing that nobody was there. But the intelligence, the level of accuracy in the Iranian intelligence in terms of these, yes, low tech drone strikes is still significant when it comes to knowing where American service members were staying at a hotel and in other Gulf countries, to knowing exactly where this consulate was in Dubai, to knowing specific parts of the massive and heavily fortified compound in Riyadh for the US Embassy that there's been accuracy there.
And those Americans, you talk about trying to get out, you hear it here, you hear talking -- people talking, Jake, about getting on lists, trying to find a way to get out. It is very disconcerting to hear that and to see the note that we got here that said, you're on your own, there's nothing we can do from the U.S. embassy, but also, Jake, someone in Dubai telling me they're doing everything they can. They booked three different ways out of the country today, every single one of them canceled. People are afraid. People are frustrated and that's what's happening as you continue to see these images of fire on your screen.
TAPPER: And, Erin, Israel's also launching strikes in Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed terrorist group, the proxy for Iran, Hezbollah.
BURNETT: Yes, they are. And we have seen that expand.
Two things, Jake, one where we're standing, we hear that fire go back and forth. And, obviously, as you well know from having been here so many times, the proximity there is close. So, sometimes you don't even get a warning when there's incoming coming from Hezbollah. But Israel has expanded that front. They started it about a day ago, but now expanding it to ground incursion ground forces on the ground in Lebanon. So, we're obviously watching that and experiencing that here as well.
And, you know, I've been here, Jake, with Nick Paton Walsh and Jeremy Diamond, and, Jeremy, when we talk about the warnings that we get when the sirens come in, obviously, this is a country now that, in some ways, has been at war since October 7th, when that first happened. And now when the full-on war, the war may be that people have always talked about and never knew if it would ever come, it's here, and they're at war with Iran.
[18:05:03]
In a sense, there is a preparedness, right? They have the sirens and also they are looking. You've been going out when missiles get through. People are getting injured and they're -- and people are dying.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And no one is more prepared than Israel's emergency response services, Magen David Adom. I visited their underground command center today. They moved into that command center about a year ago. And you can see as those ballistic missiles are coming in that early warning hits, they immediately have maps that start to ping potential strike locations and then immediately send their paramedics out to potential scenes.
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DIAMOND: So, all of that data is coming in on these screens right here.
URI SHACHAM, CHIEF OF STAFF, MAGEN DAVID ADOM: Definitely. The different screens --
DIAMOND (voice over): We're inside the nerve center of Israel's emergency medical services, Magen David Adom's now a fortified dispatch center.
SHACHAM: This was built about a year ago. When we were preparing for a multi-frontal war, we said we need to take our previous dispatch center, put it underground, where we can assure the continuity of the EMS services.
DIAMOND: Built for a war just like this one.
SHACHAM: Oh, yes. So, yes, so our cell phone just received a notice that in the coming minutes, sirens will probably be activated.
DIAMOND: Another wave of Iranian missiles. Screens here light up with projected points of impact.
SHACHAM: This barrage of rockets, we have almost 80 potential hitting points.
DIAMOND: Wow.
SHACHAM: Yes.
DIAMOND: Within minutes, it's time to move.
Okay. So, we've just learned that there is a potential impact as a result of one of these Iranian ballistic missiles, and we're going to jump in with the paramedics to the scene.
Paramedic Ori Lazarovich hits the gas.
ORI LAZAROVICH, PARAMEDIC: We had one rocket that struck a very dense area. So --
DIAMOND: This is a direct impact?
LAZAROVICH: Direct, apparently, still we haven't gotten there, but it seems like it's a direct impact.
DIAMOND: While speeding through traffic, Lazarovich is also processing a fire hose of information.
LAZAROVICH: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
So, we have an update now that it wasn't a direct hit. It was a very big piece of shrapnel that hit the building on the highest levels.
DIAMOND: As soon as we arrive, he rushes toward the impact site.
Okay, so we just arrived on the scene, obviously very chaotic. So, this isn't a direct impact, but nonetheless, you can see the damage just from shrapnel of a potential interception here. Part of this roof caved in.
A half dozen people are lightly wounded, but many more are shaken. Irina (ph) was in a bombs shelter across the street when she suddenly heard a sharp sound, and yet shock here is also matched with another realization.
LAZAROVICH: If it were to be a direct hit to this building, we'd be seeing at least five buildings with casualties inside.
DIAMOND: And debris not so easily swept away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DIAMOND (on camera): And, Erin, we were obviously talking yesterday about the fact that Israeli officials believe that having struck Iran's launch capacity so much over the course of the last 24 hours.
BURNETT: Yes.
DIAMOND: But those numbers of ballistic missile launches are going to go down. And I spoke with an Israeli military official tonight who said that even though we're still getting those sirens, we're still seeing those alerts, the number of missiles being fired in those barrages is smaller and it has been decreasing over the course of the last several days.
BURNETT: Yes.
DIAMOND: So, we're still getting sirens, although I think we got fewer today than we got yesterday, for example. But the number of missiles is still less. But as you can see in this piece, even when one of those missiles gets intercepted, that shrapnel can be so large to the point that it can cave in partially at least a roof of a home.
BURNETT: And I know, you know, it's interesting, there's been reporting that maybe Israel and the U.S. think they've taken out half of the launchers. I mean, we don't know. But, obviously, there's been an impact. We don't know what we don't have. Obviously, hypersonic missiles can be launched from portable sites for them, so take it obviously in the context, but still hugely significant. It may be what we're witnessing here.
All right, Jeremy Diamond, thanks so much. And, Jake, back to you.
TAPPER: Thanks so much, Erin Burnett and Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv. Thanks to both of you. Please stay safe.
Don't miss more of Erin's live coverage from Tel Aviv. War with Iran Live in the Middle East starts at 7:00 P.M. Eastern, right here on CNN, right after this show.
Top White House officials just brief members of Congress on war with Iran. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was in that briefing. He's going to join us live to react.
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TAPPER: And we're back with breaking news in our World Lead. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, all US personnel are accounted for after a drone attack from Iran hit the U.S. consulate grounds in Dubai, in the UAE.
Let's turn out to a Democrat who supports President Trump's operation in Iran, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Senator, the Trump administration just wrapped up its Iran briefing for all members of Congress. Did they give any information that gives you any pause about supporting this war?
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): No, nothing that I've heard. I mean, I think overall, I think the dynamic really is the same and now, ever since especially after 10/7, you know, it's all been, you know, every single senator agreed that we can't ever allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb, and now here we've had what's happened.
Now, they -- it seems now this has made it virtually impossible to do that at this point, and that also severely damaged their entire military apparatus though. So, I'd say like, I think, overall, this has been a very -- a big, big win for global security, especially in the Middle East now.
As a Democrat, I'm aware that if I happen to agree with something or support something from President Trump, but, I mean, I think it's more important to be very, I think, honest here now that I thought we all agreed that we wanted to remove Iran from its possibility of acquiring a nuclear weapon, and now this has been by that. It seems like it's been absolutely successful, and also destroying most of, if not all of their military capability.
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TAPPER: Do you have confidence that there is a plan here for when this war is going to end, what specifically the strategic objectives are and what comes next in Iran? Because, obviously, in that part of the world, it's possible that the next person that comes is going to be worse. President Trump said so earlier today.
FETTERMAN: Of course, that's -- you know, anything is theoretically possible. But what was going to happen is if we didn't do something about it, and that's acquiring a nuclear bomb. And what's also happened, that they are going to continue to strengthen those proxies and to continue to do things, like 10/7 in the Middle East now too.
Why can't we just pretend that this isn't a good development overall and after all of the kinds of chaos and the kinds of misery that Iran has underwritten for the last several decades? So, I think this has been a significant development.
And now it's just made it impossible as a Democrat to just maybe say, look, yes, there are risks, of course, of this, but I think the much bigger risk was to allow not to do anything. And now if every single senator here agrees, you should never allow them to do these things, ask one of them, well, what are you willing to do then?
You know, like, do you think it's sanctions? Well, that didn't work. Okay. How about treaties? Well, that hasn't worked. And the other negotiations that hasn't worked, going through other countries to convince them, that never worked. So, this worked. And now I think, I mean, that's a good, that's a good development.
TAPPER: Are there any other Senate Democrats who agree with you that you know of?
FETTERMAN: In the Senate, I don't believe there is. Honestly, I haven't had that conversation. And I think that with the War Powers Act tomorrow, I'll be probably be the only Democrat to vote against it because this is what I'm saying. But for me, if you are only going to say, well, you know, Iran had a terrible regime and we can never allow them to acquire a nuclear weapon, it's like, yes, well this is now -- that's happened right now. You know, can you -- why can't you say, yes, that was a good thing?
This wasn't an illegal war. I mean, this isn't a dumb war or anything. You know, this was -- this is what was -- we all agreed we can't ever allow it to happen, and that's happened. And now there are other kinds of unknown things going out.
But I think after eliminating effectively most of their leadership is a good thing, and, you know, that's -- here we are. And I think, overall, they effectively just neutered Iran in just -- I think it's a hundred hours.
TAPPER: The U.S. is urging Americans to leave if they are in any of 14 different Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, they're urging people to use commercial flights, if they can find any. There are restricted flights in and out of the region. A lot of the air space is shut down.
Earlier today, a reporter asked President Trump about sending in some evacuation flights. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Why wasn't there an evacuation plan and who do you send planes to get people out?
TRUMP: Well, because it happened all very quickly. We thought, and I thought, maybe more so than most, I could ask Marco, but I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked. They were getting ready to attack Israel. They were getting ready to attack others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Do you find it troubling at all that there didn't seem to be any evacuation plans for Americans?
FETTERMAN: Well, Secretary Rubio in this brief today said that believe it's a substantial amount of people that are willing to take these calls and to try to coordinate this and just to make sure and evacuate those people. I mean, certainly, that's been front and center at this point as a priority. And now here it's that they have dedicated resources now to facilitate to help Americans to evacuate from these nations.
TAPPER: Democratic Senator John Fetterman of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thank you, sir, always good to see you.
President Trump weighed in today on who he would like to see become the next leader of Iran, but the U.S., does it have any sway in the decision? That's next.
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[18:20:00] TAPPER: This just in, some sad news, the Pentagon just released the identities of four of the six U.S. service members who have been killed in this war. This specifically happened during an Iranian drone strike Sunday in Kuwait. The soldiers are 35-year-old Captain Cody Khork, 42-year-old Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens, 39-year-old Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, and 20-year-old Sergeant Declan Coady. All four were assigned to the 103rd Command. It's an army reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa.
We will bring you more about the casualties when we get more details about them and their photographs. May their memories be a blessing, our deepest condolences to their friends and family.
Violence continues to spill over into neighboring countries following the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran and Pakistan. At least 22 people were killed, more than 120 injured in pro-Iranian demonstrations, including at the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, where dozens of protesters stormed the ground. Video shows crowds breaking through security barricades and smashing windows before shots can be heard. It is unclear who fired the shots and how the six protesters died there.
Also in our World Lead, a source confirming to CNN that Israel today bombed the compound of the group responsible for electing Iran's next supreme leader.
[18:25:03]
Later, Iran's semi-official news agency announced that the group, the Assembly of Experts, will now meet virtually to select the new supreme leader. This after Saturday's initial blow took out 49 officials, including the despotic supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Trump this afternoon was speculating to reporters about who might fill the void in Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen.
Well, most of the people we had in mind are dead.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) Reza Pahlavi, is he an option at all in your mind?
TRUMP: I guess he is. Some people like him.
It would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Joining us now, Arash Azizi, he is a historian and contributing writer for The Atlantic Magazine. He is also the author of the book, What Iranians Want.
So, Arash, the ayatollah did not have a declared successor. A new leader is expected to be announced soon. What is the impact of having so many of their leadership options taken out by these strikes?
ARASH AZIZI, LECTURER, YALE UNIVERSITY: I think actually the main leadership options, as in ayatollahs who could be leaders are not really taken out yet. But also, Jake, I think actually who will occupy the post that a supreme leader might not be the most important thing. Iran effectively now has a collective leadership, effectively a bunch of military guys in the National Security Council.
They're running things and I think they'll be running things even after they pick the next leader. It does matter who he is and he might try to assert himself, but at least for the foreseeable future, the power would lay with, you know, people who are currently -- people like Larijani, (INAUDIBLE), and others who are in the National Security Council.
TAPPER: CNN's now reporting that the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces in order to spark an uprising in Iran. This is according to multiple people familiar with the plan. Sources say, quote, the Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support, unquote. What do you make of that development?
AZIZI: It is a very concerning development. For long, many Iranians have been very worried about this, that this will lead into state collapse and civil war. You know, many of people who support such plans amongst our Kurdish compatriots, you know, try to be optimistic about it. But the chances that this could go very wrong, that it could lead to a civil war and it could end up being suicidal for them, is a lot. I'm actually sort of writing about that as well.
And, you know, some -- many Iranians that I spoke to believe that this will bring about a large coalition against such an effort because Iran's territorial integrity is very important to many of us. And, you know, the regime will be able to muster some forces. Iran has maybe up to 1 million uniformed members also that can be brought into action against such efforts. So, it can end very badly.
And, you know, the Kurdish groups also represented relatively a small part of the Iranian population. 80 percent of Iran is either Persian- speaking or Turkic. So, you know, there might be a mobilization about a central government against this and it can lead to very bad things and a civil war. It's very concerning.
TAPPER: What is the best case scenario here? Do you think there's any way this ends with a less oppressive leader of Iran, somebody who embraces human rights, somebody who embraces the freedoms that the Iranian people deserve?
AZIZI: That's what we all want. I think the best case scenario would be a democratic transition, the power passing into, you know, some figures inside Iran, people who are with political prisoners who've shown a commitment to democracy. But it's hard to see how we can get there, frankly, because the regime security forces remain intact. They seem to continue to have the loyalty of the security forces. And those of us who are pro-democracy don't have our ranks organized.
So, it's not clear how we can get there. It's not clear what sort of -- what coherent plan there was ever if that was the goal indeed, the democratic transition. That's what we'll fight for, that's what we will struggle and forces (INAUDIBLE) inside Iran civil society. Democracy forces will rise their voices in advocate for that.
But, frankly, Jake, it's hard to see. It looks like it's going to be a contest with folks who have guns. And folks who have guns are either these armed ethnic groups or the security forces of the regime, in which, as I said, unfortunately, I think actually they'll likely have the upper hand in such a confrontation.
You can't, you know, air strikes -- air support might not be enough for whatever armed groups, you know, muster their forces to be. Maybe they'll liberate a small part of Iran or what they consider liberation, a small part of Iran. But even that is just recipe for a state collapse, for civil war, for continued instability. It won't be good news for Iranians. It won't be good news for the region.
TAPPER: All right. Historian Arash Azizi of The Atlantic Magazine, thanks so much.
As we stay on top of the breaking news overseas, we're also following major news here in the United States, as the House Oversight Committee has now released video of the depositions of both Bill and Hillary Clinton, what we learned from those interviews, that's next.
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TAPPER: In our Law and Justice Lead today, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to voluntarily give an interview to the House Oversight Committee regarding his ties to dead pedophile. Jeffrey Epstein and his child rape trafficking ring. Lutnick has faced intense scrutiny and even calls to resign following mentions of him in the Epstein files and the revelation that he had not been fully honest about his contact with Epstein.
This comes as the committee released video of last week's depositions with former President and former Secretary of State Clinton.
CNN's M.J. Lee has more on those videos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever witness Mr. Epstein sexually abuse or assault young women or girls?
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: No.
M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Former President Bill Clinton answering questions under oath about convicted child sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein.
[18:35:04]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever have sexual contact with any young woman or girl introduced to you by Epstein or Maxwell?
B. CLINTON: No.
LEE: As well as his own appearances throughout the Epstein files, including this photo of Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face is redacted.
B. CLINTON: I don't know who that is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. So, you don't know --
B. CLINTON: No. And then there were other people in the pool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. So, do you remember who were they under 18? Would you know?
B. CLINTON: No. We went out. I swam around. I sat in the hot tub for five minutes, I could have -- whatever it was, and I got up and went to bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then I have to ask this. Did you engage in any sexual activities with this person?
B. CLINTON: No.
LEE: The House Oversight Committee releasing almost five hours of video from the closed-door deposition of Clinton last week. He repeatedly insisted he never knew about Epstein's crimes.
B. CLINTON: My conscience is clear.
LEE: And also denied ever visiting little St. James, Epstein's private island in the Caribbean,
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least one of the survivors claims that you flew in a helicopter with Ghislaine Maxwell to the island.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you ever --
B. CLINTON: No, I did not do that. I've never been to that island.
LEE: Clinton shared this thought about current President Donald Trump,
B. CLINTON: The president never -- this is 20-something years ago -- never said anything to me to make me think he was involved in anything in profit with regard to Epstein.
LEE: Clinton also described Trump telling him in the early 2000s about his falling out with Epstein.
B. CLINTON: We had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal. And he said, I'm sorry, I'd have --
LEE: Bill Clinton's testimony coming the day after his wife, Hillary Clinton, sat for an at times fiery deposition of her own.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: You asked the question. I'm going to answer your question.
LEE: Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, and the presence of one's name in the Epstein files does not suggest wrongdoing.
H. CLINTON: I have never been on his island, period. I've never been in his homes, his offices, his anything.
LEE: The former secretary of state called on Trump to be deposed by the committee.
H. CLINTON: Given what's in the files and given past and prior conduct, he would be on my witness list.
LEE: M.J. Lee, CNN, Washington, D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TAPPER: And our thanks to M.J. Lee for that report.
Joining us to discuss is Epstein survivor Dani Bensky. Danny, as always, how are you doing? This must be awful to talk about.
DANIELLE BENSKY, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Yes. I mean, there's so much happening in the world right now and it just is still looming and it just feels like the deeper we go, the more I always said that this was a disconnected, now it does feel like a cover-up more and more. And I think that we're just on this rollercoaster ride right now of how deep does it all go and how long before we see all of the files be released. I don't know.
TAPPER: Bill Clinton, the former president, was asked if he looks at the photograph of him getting a massage differently now that he knows that the woman giving him a massage her name, her first name is Chante (ph), is an Epstein survivor. Take a listen to his response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that you know that Jeffrey Epstein recruited girls as masseuses, does that reframe that photograph and knowing that there were girls on the plane that were being abused?
B. CLINTON: She wants to know if I feel bad about it. Yes.
I wish Chante had told me I liked her. But I didn't think it was anything unusual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What do you make of the former president's answer? BENSKY: I'm appreciative that he's answering anything. I think we've seen so many times in this case people plead the Fifth and I think he set a very good precedent in actually answering honestly, or for the most part, that's what it appeared. But I do appreciate that, yes, he's showing up.
TAPPER: What do you mean, for the most part, he was honest?
BENSKY: I mean, I think there are some things I wish that he would speak a little bit more about the things that he saw there, because I don't think that it's possible to be in Jeffrey Epstein's orbit and not see abuse on display. And whether you know that that's what you're looking at or not, I'm not fully sure, right, because, you know, it could look -- I don't know. You know, I think you'd have to be in those situations. But I do appreciate that he's answering.
TAPPER: Well, tell -- I'm sorry to press on this. I don't want to make you feel any more uncomfortable than talking about any of this, it makes you, but like when you say like just to be in his orbit, you were in his orbit, so you were a victim of him. You were a survivor of him. Is it your contention that anybody that spent any serious amount of time with Epstein socially would have seen 15, 16, 17-year-old girls and like just automatically had questions, is that what you mean?
[18:40:05]
BENSKY: I don't know if it was that blatant because my story really didn't interact with other people's stories, right? So, I was not at parties with, you know, five, six, seven, ten girls. So, my story was much more about going to the mansion and walking through those halls. But there were so many people that did see me and there were so many things. You know, the massage room was off the hall and it was -- you know, you could see it.
And I think there were so many pieces of art that were --
TAPPER: Erotic.
BENSKY: Erotic is right, yes. And just it was -- you could feel it from the second that you walked in the door that there was something that was happening there that was not acceptable. And so I just wish that he would talk a little bit more about what he actually saw.
TAPPER: Take a listen to Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, what she told reporters when they asked if the committee has any plans to have President Trump sit for questioning regarding Epstein. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Can I just say this? The Epstein victims have exonerated President Trump. This is a trope that you guys are -- a rabbit hole you guys are going down, but he's been exonerated over and over again by Epstein's victims.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: You're an Epstein survivor. Has President Trump been exonerated by Epstein victims?
BENSKY: I want to be very clear that Trump has not been exonerated. I think that word means that we have gone through a legal process. We have not seen any legal process here. And also there are what we know now to be 1,200 survivors. There is no way that you've spoken to all 1,200 survivors.
And I want to add here, it's really troublesome when we get a group of survivors together and on air, people will ask us, raise your hand if Trump has been complicit or you have been a part of -- or Trump has been a part of your story. And it's an impossibility, because anybody that like raises their hand in that moment, you're facing defamation, you're facing safety risks, you're facing all of these very serious risks, right?
And so we are trying so desperately to move through this with legal channels and through the right ways. So, we just need to make sure, that we continue to investigate. I mean, that's why we need the release of the files, right? We know that things are missing in the files right now that have his -- Trump, his name, associated with them. So, that is where you have to go back to the line of paperwork and just make sure that we're investigating every lead.
TAPPER: Dani Bensky, thank you for your courage and for your time. I appreciate it.
Another major story we're following today, it's Election Day in three states in these United States. One of tonight's races has set the record for the most expensive primary in the history of these United States. CNN is live on the campaign trail next.
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[18:46:28]
TAPPER: In our politics lead, it is, of course, time for those sweet election jams. Can we hear them?
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TAPPER: There it is. The CNN election jam. Thank you. I appreciate it.
It's election day in North Carolina where extended voting hours in one precinct may delay the results. We are less than an hour away from the polls closing in the rest of North Carolina as voters pick which Democrat and which Republican will face off for an open Senate seat currently held by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher is live for us in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the research triangle.
Dianne former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are favored to win their party's nominations.
But you've seen a lot of enthusiasm from voters today. Tell us about it.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And, Jake, the numbers back that enthusiasm up. According to the state board of elections, early in-person voting has jumped 25 percent from the last midterms, and the associated press has calculated that early voting for those who chose the Democratic ticket is up around 44 percent from 2022.
Now, a lot of that enthusiasm does surround this open U.S. Senate seat and the fact that Democrats do believe that after tonight, they will finally officially have their candidate. And that is, of course, former two-time Governor Roy Cooper, who in a 40 year political career has never lost a race.
Now, on the other side of the aisle, Republicans are going to be choosing their candidate as well. Of course, Michael Whatley, the former RNC and NC GOP chairman, is on the ballot and is expected to win tonight. He has the endorsement and, of course, was recruited personally by President Donald Trump.
There are other candidates as well, though who are vying for that including former Navy JAG officer Don Brown, as well as a controversial North Carolina secretary of education candidate back in 2024, Michelle Morrow.
But again, widely expected to come through on that one and we do think that Whatley and Cooper will then engage in what could potentially be one of the most expensive and competitive Senate races in the nation.
Democrats say they are cautiously optimistic. And, Jake, some of that is because of recent history. The last time North Carolina sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate was 2008. That's Kay Hagan. That means that there were babies born at the beginning of that year who ostensibly could have voted in their first election today.
TAPPER: Why do you say things like that? That doesn't make me feel better. That makes me feel ancient.
(LAUGHTER)
TAPPER: I'm like a fossil in amber.
All right. Dianne Gallagher, fascinating stuff. Thank you so much.
My fellow fossils are here with me on the panel.
Well, you remember 2008. All I'm saying is you remember 2008.
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But I don't have to look like I do.
TAPPER: You don't look like a fossil. I wasn't saying I look like a fossil either. And certainly -- MIKE DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I guess
I'm the one that's left.
TAPPER: No, nobody looks like a fossil.
FINNEY: All right. Back to politics.
TAPPER: All right. So, we kind of know likely what's going to happen in North Carolina.
Really all eyes are on Texas. President Trump has not endorsed any of the Republicans running in this competitive and contentious Senate race. It will likely go to a runoff if you don't get 50 percent plus one vote, then you go to a runoff.
It looks like it's going to be incumbent Senator John Cornyn versus Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Here is Cornyn asked if he thinks Democrats have a shot at flipping his seat. Take a listen
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Absolutely. There's a chance of that. And that's the only reason why Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are running. Jasmine Crockett said if I'm the nominee, Democrats can't win.
[18:50:00]
Yet she decided to run, and I think she's doing that on the hope that Ken Paxton is the nominee with all of his scandals and baggage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: I mean, no lies detected, right, Mike?
DUBKE: No, I look, I view today as kind of an election intermission on the Republican side because no one's going to get 50 percent of the vote.
And what you pointed out in terms of the runoff on May 26th, we're most likely going to have that runoff. Republicans have already spent $100 million for today. They're going to spend another $100 million for May 26th.
And whether or not Cornyn comes out the victor, Paxton comes out the victor, you got a wounded Republican going into the November election. And I think we're just hoping and praying they're facing Crockett because she's less likely to win in the state, we think. But who knows anymore.
TAPPER: Do you -- what -- do you agree? I mean like, if you could, let's assume that Ken Paxton is the nominee, okay? Because I think even a wounded John Cornyn is still favored --
DUBKE: Is a much better bet. TAPPER: Yes. Ken Paxton, incredibly controversial. That's the nice
word. That's the nice word of it.
FINNEY: To say the least. Yeah.
TAPPER: Do you think Talarico or Crockett has the better chance? I understand both arguments for -- you know, Talarico more -- can probably win more Republicans or people in the middle, Crockett maybe can get more enthusiasm and maybe bring new voters. Who do you actually think has the better chance of beating Paxton?
FINNEY: You know, I --
TAPPER: She's going to avoid it.
(LAUGHTER)
TAPPER: Keep going, keep going. Keep going. Sorry, sorry.
FINNEY: That's okay. I'm like, hey, it's your airtime.
TAPPER: No, no, no. Keep --
DUBKE: Let's talk about Kay Hagan.
(LAUGHTER)
FINNEY: Right? No. Legitimately, I think that Jasmine does. And here's why. I think I've said before.
TAPPER: Oh, interesting, okay.
FINNEY: In part because part of Talarico argument has been to, you know, he's going to work across the aisle. I don't think that, A, people want that right now. And B, I don't think they believe and certainly a Ken Paxton candidate, I think people would think, well, that's not going to be somebody you could work with anyway, right?
So, I think what people are looking for and that's the other dynamic. You've seen Paxton kind of say things like, hey, you know Trump doesn't need another Republican. He's got to fight against, right?
And I'm with Trump. And Cornyn has not been with them. So, in that dynamic, well then I think you're looking at someone like Crockett because people are going to say, no, we want a fighter. We want somebody who's going to stand up. We don't think we can work with these guys on the other side right now.
TAPPER: Why do you think President Trump hasn't endorsed? He went into Texas. He did an event, Cornyn rode on Air Force One, which is not an endorsement. And he did endorse a bunch of people.
DUBKE: I mean, there was a worry that he was going to endorse, which I think would have been worse for Cornyn if he had done that when he flew down to Texas.
TAPPER: Because it's at least a stamp of approval on Paxton.
DUBKE: Exactly right. Look Paxton, I think he hasn't endorsed Cornyn because he secretly likes Paxton and being a fighter. And, you know, Paxton goes well, I was impeached and I know another guy that was impeached, too. I mean I think Trump --
TAPPER: Really helped prevent him from being removed from office.
DUBKE: Yes, he did, and I and I think he likes that kind of rhetoric on the on the flip side of this, the team that Paxton has behind him is the same team that DeSantis had, and there is no love lost between the White House team and that team. So there's -- there's a lot of push and pull here on why he won't endorse and hasn't endorsed
TAPPER: Were you surprised that Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Jasmine Crockett?
FINNEY: I was not. I mean, Jasmine was a part of her campaign and had been a supporter of hers for a long time. And, look, I think it was helpful frankly, because A, you know, we follow this. I know you love the music, but a lot of people aren't paying attention to the fact that there's a primary there today.
I hate to say that that feels sacrosanct. It feels scandalous
DUBKE: We went to the Beyonce concert together, so that's why.
FINNEY: Stop. But I think it reminded people there's a primary we got to come out for Jasmine. And look, can I just also say if you look at the early vote numbers in terms of a the enthusiasm among Democrats and among, when you break that down even further, it looks pretty good for Jasmine. I have to I think it'll be close but I actually think she may pull it out.
DUBKE: CNN's Arlette Saenz spoke to a Texas voter who explained why he voted for Talarico over Crockett. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEXAS VOTER: I mean, she's a better alternative to the Republican side, but I just felt like Talarico sort of may resonate with a broader kind of part of the electorate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So, do you agree with that? I mean, do you --
DUBKE: Now, I am so tired of hearing electability as a reason for voting for somebody. I'm actually I'm kind of with you on this. And this is why I think we may see Paxton and Crockett get. Well, you're going to have a -- you're going to have an answer tonight. I'm not.
FINNEY: Yes, sorry.
DUBKE: But I -- the electability argument, you know, it sounds great in a primary, but I think it generally falls short when we get to the general election.
TAPPER: Well, the biggest argument against Trump in 2016 was he can't win.
FINNEY: That's right.
TAPPER: The voters get a -- get a say. They get a get a say.
Mike Dubke and Karen Finney, thanks so much.
CNN's going to have coverage of tonight's competitive primary races from Texas to North Carolina to Arkansas.
[18:55:03]
That starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN. That's not true. It's going to be all (INAUDIBLE), but it's best to watch it here.
We're following breaking news out of the Middle East tonight, as the war with Iran expands.
Erin Burnett has special coverage live from Tel Aviv. That's coming up in just moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:59:25]
TAPPER: This just in. The Pentagon released more information including photographs of four of the six of the six U.S. service members that were killed Sunday in Kuwait during this war against Iran.
You see there, 35-year-old Captain Cody Khork. He's from Winter Haven, Florida.
Forty-two-year-old Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens. He was from Bellevue, Nebraska.
Thirty-nine-year-old Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor. She was from White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Twenty-year-old Sergeant Declan Cody from West Des Moines, Iowa.
All four were with an Army Reserve unit based in Iowa. Again, to their family and friends, our deepest condolences. May their memories be a blessing.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" is in Tel Aviv right now, and you should watch, live from Israel, starts now.
