Return to Transcripts main page

The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Searching For Crew Member After F-15 Downed In Iran; Hegseth Fires U.S. Army Chief Of Staff Amid Iran War; NASA Cancels Correction Burn, Says Artemis II On Track For Moon; Trump Cabinet Worries About Job Security After Bondi, Noem Firings; Homeowners Association Demands Thousands Of Dollars From Members Whose Homes Were Damaged. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired April 03, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: The Lead tonight, the urgent search and rescue operation now underway for a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crew member behind enemy lines. You're looking at photos shown by Iranian state media of what it claims is the wreckage of the fighter jet after it was shot down earlier today.

Sources familiar with the U.S. search operation say that one U.S. service member, crew member was successfully rescued. He is alive. He is receiving medical care. Then just hours ago, Iran claimed it had shut down a second U.S combat plane over the Persian Gulf. A U.S. official tells CNN that the pilot of the A-10 Warthog was able to navigate out of Iranian territory before ejecting and being rescued.

Today marks the first time since the U.S. launched military strikes against Iran on February 28th that any U.S. aircraft have been shot down.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us in Tel Aviv. And, Jeremy, what more can you tell us about where this operation, the rescue operation stands as of this hour?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, it appears to be ongoing. Keep in mind it is after 1:00 A.M. now in Iran, so the middle of the night, this search and rescue operation supposedly still ongoing as the fate of that second airman from that downed F-15 fighter jet, his whereabouts still very much unknown.

The other airman who was in that plane, he is receiving medical attention from the U.S. military and is safely in U.S. hands. We also understand that Israel was not asked to assist in the search and rescue effort. They are not directly involved, but they are providing intelligence to the United States to try and assist with that search and rescue effort.

Obviously, both Israel and the United States have done extensive planning and training for this very scenario, the possibility of one of their fighter jet pilots or navigators being downed off in Iranian skies and now being inside of Iranian territory. Israel also postponed several strikes that it had planned in the area inside of Iran, so as not to interfere with the search and rescue efforts.

And all of this, of course, Jake, is the latest indication that we are seeing, that despite the military successes that Israel and the United States have had, despite the statements that we've heard from U.S. and Israeli officials about the extent to which Iran's military capabilities have been destroyed and degraded, Iran is still showing significant capabilities. It is not easy to take down one of these F- 15 fighter jets, and yet Iran is showing that it still maintains at least some of the sophisticated capabilities that can allow it to do something like that.

In fact, we've also learned that a second U.S. military plane, an A-10 Thunderbolt, was also struck by Iran today. That pilot was apparently able to navigate outside of Iranian territory and then ejected safely. But it does again show you the capabilities that Iran still maintains and it strikes at the heart of what President Trump has been saying over the course of this week, as he insisted that Iran has no air defense capabilities, no capability down jets. Well, they showed that today.

And it is the latest indication that we are seeing, that this conflict is showing no signs of slowing down. As we heard President Trump earlier this week, say at least several more weeks of military operations, and we are seeing today the risks that entails. This is not just a safe campaign with no risks for the United States. Something like this can happen, and today it has. And, of course, we'll see what that means for the rest of this conflict in the weeks ahead. Jake?

TAPPER: Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv, thanks so much.

Let's bring in Leon Panetta, who served as Secretary of Defense and CIA director under President Obama. Secretary Panetta, good to see you.

So, these fighter pilots are put through rigorous survival training, but what does it say to you that one crew member was rescued while the other crew member is still somewhere missing inside Iran?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Yes, it's not unusual, Jake, because when they get out of that fighter plane, they can go in very separate directions and be located a distance apart. So, you can find one, but you may take a while in order to be able to try to locate the other pilot. So, I understand the problem. And, hopefully, our search and rescue operations will continue until we've been able to locate the other pilot.

It's a principle that the military abides by that we leave nobody behind. We leave nobody behind. And I'm hoping that they'll continue the search and rescue and be able to bring both pilots back home.

TAPPER: Iran state media is offering a bounty for capturing the downed crew members. President Trump told NBC that today's events will not affect negotiations with the regime. How much leverage would it give the Iranians if they recover that missing American service member first? [18:05:03]

PANETTA: Well, look, you know, the president keeps talking about negotiations, but there's some kind of mystical negotiations going on. Because every time he says something's going to happen, the ceasefire's going to happen, it doesn't happen. So, his credibility, frankly, is subject to question.

And I think what's happening now, Jake, is, to a large extent, the president is paying the price for not being really honest and direct with the American people about what this war is all about. You know, he keeps giving mixed messages. And one day he will say, we're going to end the war soon, and then talks about bombing Iran into the stone age, which I think involves a much more prolonged war. He basically continues to send messages that create conflict.

And the American people then really don't know what's going on. He says, we've won the war. He says, we've achieved a lot of our military objectives, but, obviously, Iran still has a missile capability. They're able to bring down our fighter planes. They're able to close the Straits of Hormuz. They still have a lot of leverage in dealing with the United States. We have to recognize that if we really are ultimately going to bring this war to an end.

TAPPER: There's no doubt that the U.S. has done a lot of damage. The U.S. military has done a lot of damage to Iran's military capabilities. But yesterday, sources told CNN that, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, roughly half of Iran's missile launchers remain intact, and Iran still possesses thousands of these attack drones despite the president saying this to the nation on Wednesday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed and their weapons, factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces.

They have no anti-aircraft equipment. Their radar is 100 percent annihilated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: And on Tuesday, the Pentagon said Iran's air defenses were so significantly degraded, they had started flying B-52s over the country.

Now that Iran has down to U.S. fighter jet, what does it tell you about Iran's current capabilities?

PANETTA: Well, you know, let's be honest about where we're at, and I would hope that the president could be honest with the American people about where we're at. Number one, we haven't been able to bring down the regime. That was the primary objective of going to war. The regime is going to remain in power. This is a hardline regime. And once we leave, it's going to continue to represent a threat that we're going to have to deal with. We're going to have to continue to monitor that situation.

Secondly, yes, we have obtained a lot of our military objectives, but the bottom line is they still have a missile capability, they still have the ability to bring down our planes, and more importantly, they still have the ability to close the Straits of Hormuz. The president has talked about our allies somehow going in and opening up the straits. But it wasn't their war. It's our war. The United States has to provide the leadership to go in and open up the straits.

And let me tell you, the result of those straits being closed, the president would like to somehow say it's not a problem for the United States. It is a problem. People are going to the gas station. The prices are sky high. There's a lot of damage occurring to our economy and to the world economy. We've got to do something about reopening the Straits of Hormuz. It's our responsibility requires our leadership, hopefully working with our allies. That is the truth of what's happening with this war, and the president needs to tell the American people that.

TAPPER: Former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta, thank you so much, sir. I always appreciate it.

As all of this is unfolding in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Hegseth has fired not one but multiple top generals. Is this really the best strategy when the country's at war? That's next.

Plus, you're looking live inside the Orion spacecraft where we can see the four astronauts who are heading to the moon. That's Pilot Victor Glover, working out the man in the gray shirt in the center of your screen, while the other crew members are preparing the test they're going to do later in this mission.

Stick with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:10:00]

TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the U.S. Army chief of staff, General Randy George, and two other top Army generals on Thursday, dismissals that come as the U.S. appears poised to intensify strikes and the Pentagon is weighing a potential ground invasion in Iran. In a post, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell framed General George's firing as a retirement, effective immediately. A U.S. official told CNN that senior Army leadership had been caught off guard, quote, it doesn't feel like a very thought out decision, unquote.

Now, I have been personally covering General Randy George's career for about 15 years. I wrote a book in 2012 about the ill-fated Combat Outpost Keating, which had been in 2006, placed in a dangerous position in Afghanistan. Then-Colonel Randy George and his lieutenant colonel, Brad Brown, tried to shut down that outpost in 2008 because of the precarious position it was in, although their warnings were not heeded with any urgency. And then COP Keating was devastatingly attacked in 2009. Those who know General Randy George considered him to be well- respected, smart, strategic, someone who acts with the best interests of his service members and the United States at the top of his mind. His dismissal, along with that of Chief of Chaplains Major General William Green Jr. and Commander of Army Transformation and Training Command General David Hodne are just the latest in a string of abrupt firings that Hegseth has carried out inside the Pentagon since he took office.

[18:15:14]

Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers over the last year. In fact, he's almost completely remade the Joint Chiefs of staff, just two officials remained from before President Trump took office, Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith and Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman.

Now, you might have noticed, if you look at that photo, Hegseth's version of the Joint Chiefs, those are entirely white men, despite the fact, that as of 2024, nearly 33 percent of active duty service members are of color and nearly 18 percent are women. Hegseth has made it quite clear that that type of representation in the top ranks does not matter to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department, and we need the best and brightest.

Physical standards must be high and gender neutral. If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is.

We're reviving the warrior ethos. We're eliminating the distractions and the debris. No more DEI.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Two of the first leaders Hegseth Let go were former Joint Chiefs Chair General C.Q. Brown, the second black officer to hold that post, and Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the U.S. Navy.

Just last week, The New York Times reported that in an extraordinarily rare move, Hegseth was actively blocking the promotions of four Army officers, officials saying two of the officers are black. Two of them are women. Parnell defended the promotion process to The New York Times as apolitical and unbiased, unquote.

The New York Times reports that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll repeatedly refused to let Hegseth strike those officers names from the promotion list. Officials told the Times that Driscoll took heat from Hegseth chief of staff, the controversial Ricky Buria, for promoting Major General Antoinette Gantt to command the military district of Washington. The Times reporting quote, Mr. Buria told Mr. Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a black female officer at military events, the official said, unquote. Buria denies that story.

Driscoll is someone Hegseth perceives as a threat, sources tell CNN, unsurprisingly. He has worked closely with the now retired General Randy George. Hegseth's firing sprees, targeting women, targeting people of color, or even just those he feels personally threatened by.

This all comes as the U.S. is weighing a further escalation in the already unpopular war in Iran, a ground invasion that could potentially risk the lives of thousands of troops, which only 11 percent of U.S. adults polled by CNN support. In that same poll, incidentally, Secretary Hegseth himself is registering at a 35 percent approval rating with 65 percent of the American people disapproving.

And now without the guidance of tenured military officials who have served for decades honorably, that guidance, because Secretary Hegseth is either dismissed or hamstrung for reasons that remain unclear to even top military officers, now Trump administration scrambling to prove to the American people that there is a clear plan for the war in Iran and that it's worth the costs of thousands of U.S. troops that they're putting in harm's way.

Let's bring in Washington Post Reporter Dan Lamothe, who covers the Pentagon and the military, has broken a lot of these stories. Dan, can you put a perspective what the firing of General Randy George will mean for the leadership of the Pentagon right now?

DAN LAMOTHE, MILITARY AFFAIRS REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yes. I mean, Randy George has been in the Army for more than 40 years. I met him just maybe a year or two after you did when he was a one-star general at the Army War College in Pennsylvania. He's a thoughtful guy. I honestly have no idea which party he would belong to politically. He kind of adheres to that old school nonpartisan sort of idea that you would hope for in your generals.

TAPPER: So, a source familiar with what happened tells me that this was entirely -- the firing was entirely about these promotions and personnel matters. And, you know, that's the reason and that General George requested a meeting with Hegseth, Hegseth refused to give it to him, and they fired him and leaked it to the media at the same time. What's going on here? Why would Hegseth do this?

LAMOTHE: I think this is a significant final data point in sort of the Randy George Army saga under Hegseth. I do think it's more complex than it being just about this event. My own reporting would suggest that there's been sort of this churn on this, how long will Randy George last, whether or not Randy George is acceptable to Hegseth, really going back many months. And that Dan Driscoll, who had really kind of hit a good teamwork kind of vibe with the general, really did like him, really did want to keep him and was increasingly frustrated trying to make the case to Secretary Hegseth.

[18:20:04]

TAPPER: What is -- and what was the issue be beyond the issue of personnel and promotions? What are the other issues? LAMOTHE: I mean, I think some of it is the -- there -- the senior Pentagon staff right now, there are people who literally are combing through biographies, combing through past testimony, looking for what they said on diversity three, five, seven years ago, and kind of building a dossier of sorts trying to assemble who kind of fits the mold they're looking for. Randy George had served under the Biden administration. Randy George specifically had been a senior military assistant to Lloyd Austin, Biden's defense secretary. And in testimony, when asked candid questions, he was in favor of diversity as part of a broader effort to have unit cohesion in the Army.

TAPPER: There are thousands of troops deployed to the Middle East right now, as we all wait to see if the U.S. is going to commence with a ground operation in Iran. Is there a sense that there's any confidence that there's a -- well, give us the sense of confidence in Hegseth leadership among those who are directly impacted in the U.S. military.

LAMOTHE: I think it's pretty divided. I don't think by any means it's universally against. There are people who really kind of buy into his lethality rhetoric. But there is significant concern that he's perhaps not fully appreciating the gravity of this situation, particularly when you look at things today, like the pilot down on the ground. This is something that was a foreseeable circumstance in a serious campaign with numerous aircraft up against the country that also has anti- aircraft.

TAPPER: Dan Lamothe of Washington Post, thank you so much. Good to have you, sir.

Pope Leo is in Rome tonight carrying the cross during Good Friday services as thousands gather in Italy for the holy Easter weekend. We're going to go live to Rome next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

TAPPER: We're back with our Faith Lead, and you're looking at scenes from Rome on this Good Friday, as Pope Leo led the way of the cross around the Colosseum.

CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb is in Rome for us tonight. And we should note he's the author of a brand new book, American Hope, What Pope Leo the 14th Means for the Church and the World.

Chris, these commemorations and coinciding, of course, as it does with the Jewish holiday of Passover, they come as the pope has been pretty outspoken recently about the Iran War. Now, in your book, your excellent book, I'm holding it up here, you write, Leo is a pope at a time when millions of people are crying out for global statesmanship. His gentle reserve style stands in contrast to politicians looking to dominate the news cycle, unquote. Put that into context for us.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, I think the point about Leo is that, you know, he's someone who had the spotlight thrown upon him. You know, he wasn't seeking to be pope and he's having to, you know, deal with the fact that, you know, the media and the world is looking to him for leadership. But he's someone who is naturally quite gentle and reserved. He's not someone who goes out there looking to make headlines, you know, unlike as you can see in with certain politicians.

But we have seen Leo become more outspoken recently. You know, he told me on Tuesday night that he hopes that President Trump can find an off-ramp to the war in Iran. So, you know, Leo the Lion is gentle, but he knows when to roar, and we are hearing more from him and we're hearing him be more outspoken recently.

TAPPER: Leo's been pope for 11 months now. It's a job he never expected to get. You write that just before the conclave that elected him began. He wrote to a friend, quote, I'm sleeping well, relying on the belief that there will never be an American pope. How do you think Leo is enjoying the job?

LAMB: Well, I think it's taken a bit of adjustment for him because, of course, he was, you know, relatively obscure cardinal, you know, known in church circles, I should say, but, you know, not that well known to the wider public. So, it has been a big adjustment for him.

He's been trying to appoint his new team. He's moved into the papal apartments. He's getting himself set up. I think it's going to take some time for him to really, you know, get into the role. This first year has been very much an adjustment. But I think we are seeing him become more comfortable as pope. And, you know, in the coming days, he's going to travel to Africa for a major trip across four countries. And so we're going to hear more from him then.

But it has been an adjustment for him, certainly. But, yes, I think after almost a year, Leo is gradually and surely getting into the position.

TAPPER: Again, the book is American Hope. It's about the new pope. Christopher Lamb in Rome, rhanks, and congrats on the excellent new book.

LAMB: Thank you.

TAPPER: A nice gift from space on this Friday as the Artemis astronauts are sending back stunning images of the Earth as they journey toward the moon. And we're now getting live pictures from inside the Orion capsule where the astronauts are up and working and working out. We're going to get an update from their mission live at the Johnson Space Center next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

TAPPER: In our Out of this World Lead today, some positive news from NASA this afternoon about the historic mission around the moon. The Orion capsule was supposed to do some corrective maneuvers today to ensure the astronauts were on the right path to the moon, but it turns out they're not needed. The spacecraft is on the right track.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is down at Johnson Space Center with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REID WISEMAN, ARTEMIS II COMMANDER: You could see the entire globe from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe. And as if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These are the first breathtaking images shared by the Artemis II crew as they officially set course for the moon.

CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: There's nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet both lit up bright as day and also the moon glow on it at night with the beautiful beam of the sunset.

LAVANDERA: The four astronauts have traveled at speeds of up to 3,400 miles per hour.

KOCH: You're getting a live look outside the windows of the Orion spacecraft.

LAVANDERA: That's nearly 5,000 feet per second as they head into the most crucial part of their mission.

WISEMAN: I got to tell you, there is nothing normal about this, sending four humans 250,000 miles away. It is a Herculean effort and we are now just realizing the gravity of that.

LAVANDERA: We got the clearest view yet of the astronauts onboard the Orion spaceship as they answered questions about their journey so far and revealed they've been glued to the views of Earth from the four main windows in their cabin, and also finding the best ways to sleep.

[18:35:04]

WISEMAN: Christina has been sleeping heads down in the middle of the vehicle kind of like a bat, suspended from our docking tunnel. Victor's been up where Jeremy is right now.

It's more comfortable than you would think. And it's nice to sleep in weightlessness again. Every time I was dozing off last night, I had that image that I was tripping off a curb and I was waking myself up. So my body's getting re-acclimated.

Friday's wake up song, In a Daydream by the Freddie Jones Band.

WISEMAN: It was really great to wake up this morning and look out the window and see the full moon off the front of the vehicle. There's no doubt where we're heading right now.

LAVANDERA: Their planned course adjustment was canceled. It wasn't needed. Up next, a cabin change. The crew will need to transition their seats positioned for the launch to set up for their lunar flyby when they make history.

VICTOR GLOVER, ARTEMIS II PILOT: This brought us together and showed us what we can do when we put -- not just putting our differences aside, when we bring our differences together and use all the strengths to accomplish something great.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (on camera): And, Jake, you know, the first 48 hours of this mission have been rather hectic in terms of this crew having to adjust the configuration of the cabin so that they can work and sleep in it. But they did get some time today to be able to reach out and have private conversations with their families and back here on Earth. So, that was a welcome respite.

They had already done a kind of a round of interviews describing what they've been through, and up until then, they had not been able to talk to family members. So, they were able to carve out some of that private time so that they could talk to their spouses and children down here on Earth, which I'm sure came as a welcome moment for this crew that has really been on full display here for much of the last 48 hours as we watch them do their work in space. Jake?

TAPPER: All right. Ed Lavandera at Johnson Space Center, thanks so much.

Joining us now, Aneesha Ross, the cousin of one of the astronauts, Victor Glover, the pilot on the Artemis II. Aneesha, thanks so much for joining us.

So, we've been watching live photos from inside the Orion capsule. We saw your cousin, Victor, doing his daily workout earlier. What is it like to see your cousin live in space?

ANEESHA ROSS, COUSIN OF ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER: Thank you, Jake, so much for having me. It is super exciting just, again, to be able to sit back and watch and knowing that, you know, he belongs to me (ph).

TAPPER: Yes, it must be pretty cool. Did Victor share with you how he felt leading up to the space flight? Was he excited? Was he nervous?

ROSS: Yes, a mixture of emotions, but all great. And that does come, just as you stated, with excitement. It does come with a bit of nervousness no matter how hard you train. It's different when you're in that moment. But he was just full of smiles before takeoff.

TAPPER: I think we have some video of him working out that we just got. Victor will hopefully get to speak to his wife and kids a few times during the journey.

If you could talk to him in space, and I understand why they limit the phone calls for that, it's probably pretty expensive, what would you say to him? What questions might you have?

ROSS: You know, I really don't have any questions for him, but I would let him know again how proud I am of him. You know, he is a God- fearing man, so we know that everything is going to be okay, but just to let him know that I'm super proud of him and I can't wait for him to come down so I can physically give him a hug again.

And, you know, I would've just ask, you know, just the experience. It is different when we watch, but just really how is it, how do you feel, you know, and to hear it firsthand.

TAPPER: I'm not sure of the age difference between you two but what was he like as a kid?

ROSS: Yes, we're actually very close. He's just a little bit over a year older than me. But as a kid, he was really just even who he is today, extremely smart. He was good at everything he did. You know, he played sports, he played football. He was good at it. He ran track, he was good at it. He wrestled, he was good at it. So, everything that he did, he was good at.

And so being where he's at now and seeing the man that he has become is absolutely phenomenal, and it's not a surprise, not a surprise, whatsoever. Extremely smart, extremely intelligent, and just an overall -- he was really a good kid.

TAPPER: But did he always know he wanted to be an astronaut? Like was his room decorated with pictures of Neil Armstrong? Did he have stars on his ceiling? I mean, was there -- did you know he was going to be an astronaut?

ROSS: No, not at all, not at all. Knowing that he was going to school, of course, for engineering, but an astronaut was not on the radar, you know? And so for this to happen it, it is definitely graced by God, but we are enjoying this entire journey with him.

[18:40:03]

But that wasn't in the plans. It wasn't in his plans.

TAPPER: So, it sounds as though he's not only a man of science. He's a man of faith. So, on this Good Friday, just talk to me for a second about how he views this. Does he look at this incredible universe and think God made this? I mean, how does he -- because obviously sometimes there's a clash between science and faith.

ROSS: And, yes, it is sometimes, but, absolutely, just looking at and knowing that man, this was something that the Lord created. This was all him. And that's how we view it. Even when it comes to science, we know that this was still God's creation. And, yes, he is a God-fearing man, a wonderful husband, awesome father, a wonderful cousin, of course, right?

TAPPER: Right.

ROSS: And it is -- his faith is first above everything. TAPPER: Wow. I'm so excited that I got to talk to you. You must be so proud of your cousin.

Aneesha Ross, thank you so much and have a really wonderful, magical Easter.

ROSS: Well, thank you Jake, and you do the same. Thank you for having me. It was an honor.

TAPPER: Be sure to join The Lead Monday. We're going to have special live coverage of the Artemis II mission, the Orion spacecraft, during our show. We'll travel behind the moon and reach the farthest point that humans have ever traveled in space during our show. We're going to cover it live. You don't want to miss it.

The domestic win for President Trump today, despite the tense moments he's facing on the global front. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:18]

TAPPER: Our politics lead now, fresh off the ouster of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and just weeks since the dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, CNN's learning from several sources, multiple cabinet officials could be at risk of hearing "you're fired" from President Trump.

Possibly at risk, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, FBI Director Kash Patel, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Although who knows?

My panel joins me now.

Thanks so much for joining us, Bryan.

One person close to Trump says of more possible shakeups in the cabinet, quote, "This is a recalibration. There are high expectations that are not being met," unquote. We've already got two high profile firings in the last few weeks, possibly more shakeups ahead. Usually this happens after the midterms, not before the midterms. What's going on?

BRYAN LANZA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP 2024 CAMPAIGN: Yeah, listen, I think if I had to step back and see where the mentality is, is I think some of the staff, maybe even the president probably assumes that we're going to lose the Senate in November. And if that's the case, it's easier to get people confirmed during a Republican Senate than a Democratic Senate.

TAPPER: Oh, interesting.

LANZA: That would be the safe assumption from the friends that I have there.

TAPPER: So, let's give credit where credit's due. President Trump did win today when it comes to the economy. Good news. The best jobs report to date of his second term, the U.S. added 178,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3 percent. Good stuff. We're all happy for that.

Karen Finney, will these job numbers alleviate some of the angst that voters are feeling about the economy?

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Probably not, because the president also released his budget today, and it is staggering how much we -- that video that was released earlier this week then pulled back where he said, because we're at war, we can't pay for -- we can't pay for childcare and Medicaid and all these things. We can't --

TAPPER: Medicare.

FINNEY: Medicare.

We can't do all those things after saying in 2024, of course, we're not going to cut it anyway. The budget that he put forward, those things are all significantly on the chopping block, including getting rid of LIHEAP, which is heating assistance for poor people.

So, you know, it's sort of like I just -- he can't seem to like stop from doing the things that are so damaging to any president in the midterm by -- sure, it's a -- it's good for people in the health care sector, which is, I think, where we saw the most growth nursing, nursing. I think they also said, but not in other parts of the country, like farmers who are struggling because of the war in Iran and this -- and the issues with the Strait of Hormuz, like the cuts that he proposes to pay for the war. I think that's not going to do anything to reassure people.

TAPPER: But, Bryan, credit where credit's due. The president, you know, good jobs report today.

LANZA: Yes. I mean, I think everybody sort of had a sigh of relief. Like there was a compounding. It was a week where compounding issues erupted. But this one was it was a good one for them.

TAPPER: Despite this --

FINNEY: I agree with Bryan.

TAPPER: It's Good Friday.

FINNEY: It is Good Friday.

TAPPER: Gas prices continue to rise, unfortunately. Today's national average price per gallon is $4.09 per gallon of regular unleaded. We're now paying 37 percent more for gas than we were when the war began.

Do you think that the administration is doing enough to acknowledge the pain and lay out any sort of plan to get the prices down?

LANZA: Listen, I think they have. I think the president said, you know, during last -- during this week's speech that this was going to take a bit longer, and to be patient, I think they need to do more in sort of creating the urgency of why it's going to take longer.

But -- but are they doing more? I mean, you can always do more when it comes to lowering energy costs. You know, you can do, you know, a gas tax holiday, you can increase more permits, you can put more supply -- more supply. You can have Russian energy and Iran energy more into the system.

But you know, they should do more. And gas is -- gas prices is a problem for this administration. Most voters -- not to interrupt you. Most voters actually make the decision of what the economy looks like in an election in July, not in November, but in July.

TAPPER: Oh, interesting.

LANZA: We're months away from July. And so, it's hard to see a 180 in the short amount of time.

FINNEY: Yeah, but the president the other night in his speech about Iran, tried to make it seem okay. So, it's maybe two or three more weeks. Everything's about two weeks away with this guy. But he also didn't really say anything to the American people.

Like, hey, look, I know you're suffering. I know this is hard, but I need you to stick with me. He didn't really do that. And that was a perfect moment to try to bring people into acknow -- to exactly what you just said, Jake, acknowledging the pain. Instead, he kind of gaslit us on the economy.

And look, if prices stay high, you know as well as anyone, Bryan, particularly for families who are taking summer vacations, they're going to have to think twice. Can they afford it?

TAPPER: So, Bryan, you were just talking about the president wanting to get replacements for members of his cabinet, confirmed before Republicans maybe lose control of the Senate. CNN has some new exclusive reporting that Justice Samuel Alito was taken to the hospital last month, and a previously undisclosed incident. He was evaluated and administered fluids for dehydration and then returned home that night.

[18:50:02]

CNN's chief political commentator David Axelrod tweeted, quote, "Given the growing possibility of a Democratic controlled Senate next year, it would not be at all surprising if Alito announced his retirement soon to allow Trump to push through a nominee," unquote. Obviously, we all wish Justice Alito the best.

What do you think?

LANZA: Let's hope so. I mean, at the end of the day, the Supreme Court is the ultimate place where politics is played. And if President Trump gets a chance to put in a fourth or maybe a fifth, you know, you have to do it this year. And then if you throw in potential confirmations for cabinet designees or new cabinet members, it's a busy Senate schedule. But you have -- I mean, it has to be done. We don't want to end up

with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg situation.

TAPPER: Yeah. What do you think? I mean, let's just -- let me just say --

FINNEY: You will end up with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

TAPPER: So the situation was that that, President Obama went to lunch with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and he was supposed to deliver the message to her, you retire before we lose the Senate.

FINNEY: Yeah.

TAPPER: And, you know, in his polite and collegiate, collegial -- collegiate is a professorial way --

FINNEY: There you go.

TAPPER: She left the lunch and had no idea that that's what he was saying. And I think President Trump's a little bit more direct. Would you?

FINNEY: Little bit.

TAPPER: It seems a little bit more direct, but that could serve him well in this.

FINNEY: Of course. And look, this is an issue both for Democratic and Republican presidents where they -- you want to be able to shape the court. So yes, I suspect that if he hadn't already gotten a phone call, he's going to get one very soon that says, hey, so when are you leaving?

TAPPER: Or Truth Social post.

FINNEY: Or Truth -- that's right. That's the other way to --

LANZA: Him and with Clarence Thomas, I think those two are the -- are the come to mind of what needs to be solved before November.

TAPPER: Although we're in a town where people think that they can live forever.

FINNEY: Yeah. I mean, look --

LANZA: Joe Biden.

TAPPER: Joe Biden is a good example.

FINNEY: And they're not accountable to him. I mean, there's not really anything he can do to them. So, it'll be interesting to see people do get a little, as my father would say, hardheaded when it comes to --

TAPPER: As the president, as the president learned when it comes to the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, also. FINNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: I'm right here, baby. Can't touch me.

Karen, Bryan, enjoy your Easter weekend. Really appreciate you being here.

Up next, the eye-popping amount a homeowners association wants from people who lost their homes in the California wildfires last year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:56:14]

TAPPER: In our national lead, it has been more than a year since fires destroyed entire neighborhoods across the Los Angeles area.

By CNN's count, at least -- at least 16,000 structures in L.A. County, 16,000 homes, businesses and other buildings were destroyed or damaged in January 2025 because of the fires. Fifteen months later, L.A. County's permitting progress dashboard reports about 2,000 building issues have been -- building permits have been issued. Just over 1,000 homes are currently under constructed. How many have been completed? Of the 16,000? Thirty, not 30,000, 30.

And there's another story lurking in those grim numbers, as CNN's Nick Watt discovered, shockingly, all the losses have not stopped one of these homeowners' associations from demanding thousands of dollars from its members and giving them just about a month to pay up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN HARMON, HOME DAMAGED IN EATON FIRE: It's just been the worst year ever. And this is the cherry on top.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fifty-two homes in this community burned to the ground in January 25th. Many more damaged.

Ryan Harmon had to flee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to go home. Look at that.

WATT (voice-over): They still haven't moved back home. Like so many, he's been dealing with, sometimes fighting with insurance companies, mortgage companies, contractors. And then a letter arrived from the homeowners' association.

HARMON: We were all like, what? You know, you have to read the letter a few times to go, are they really saying that or are they really threatening me?

WATT (voice-over): Here's the letter from July. A demand for $23,614 to replace fences, irrigation, shrubs and trees. Just 34 days to pay or face late fees and interest.

For those with hardship or questions, please contact the management office for possible assistance.

At least one lawsuit has been filed for nonpayment.

WATT: They do need to repair stuff, right?

HARMON: Yes. Yes, sure.

WATT: So, what's your beef?

HARMON: Do you take your neighbors and kick them when they're down, when they're displaced, when they're out, hundreds of thousands of dollars, when they've gone through a catastrophe.

WATT (voice-over): He and others also wonder if quite so much money is needed to fix up the common landscaping.

HARMON: There's people fighting, arguing back and forth, and it's just unfortunate. It's pitted neighbor against neighbor, and it didn't need to be this way.

WATT (voice-over): We asked the HOA board for comment but haven't heard back.

RANDE SOTOMAYOR, ATTORNEY AND MEDIATOR: This assessment could have been much, much larger.

WATT (voice-over): But here are two neighbors on their side.

R. SOTOMAYOR: It's just that people have different personalities and react differently in stressful times. And when they are affected by trauma, and it became a little ugly.

WATT (voice-over): Rande Sotomayor is a professional mediator, tried to unite her neighbors with a kumbaya zoom call.

JESS SOTOMAYOR, SUPPORTS HOA ASSESSMENT: I don't like it because its money out of my pocket, but I completely understand what -- why it was required.

WATT (voice-over): Some don't. Rifts remain. Bottom line -- rebuilding your own house after a fire is hard. Getting more than 200 households in an association to agree on how to rebuild what you share is even harder.

WATT: Is anybody not talking to you because of this?

HARMON: I believe possibly in my next door neighbor. She doesn't want to talk to me. Fine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATT: Jake, more than a year since the fire. Yep. There is construction going on. But there's also still a tangle of red tape. Dueling lawsuits and counter lawsuits. Still unclear where some compensation might be coming from. It's a bit of a mess. But listen, this fire killed 19 people,

destroyed 9,000 buildings coming back from that is going to be a long, emotional and often painful process -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Nick, thanks so much.

Coming up Sunday, a special easter edition of "STATE OF THE UNION". We're going to talk with Democratic senator and the Reverend Raphael Warnock at his legendary Ebenezer Baptist Church. We're going to talk about faith and politics. A special easter Sunday edition.

We're also going to talk to the NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. That's Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at noon, only on CNN.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now. Have a wonderful Good Friday and an amazing Easter. I'll see you Sunday morning.