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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Trump To Iran: Strike Deal, Or Bridges & Power Will Be "Decimated"; Artemis II Crew Breaks Space Travel Distance Record; UCLA Wins Its First Women's NCAA Championship. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 06, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

UNKNOWN: -- on board are currently doing their lunar flyby, taking them further into space than any humans in history. Pretty incredible. And right now, they are more than 251,000 miles from Earth and about 6,000 miles from the moon. Christina Koch and Victor Glover are currently at the windows, and they are taking pictures before swapping out so other crew members can get a look at their own. So far, the astronauts have said the moon actually looks more brown up close. "The Lead with Jake Tapper" starts now.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is "CNN Breaking News."

JAKE TAPPER, CNN LEAD WASHINGTON ANCHOR: Welcome to "The Lead." I'm Jake Tapper. The breaking news off the top, two big stories in our "Out of This World Lead," the Artemis II making history at exactly 1:57 p.m. Eastern this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY HANSEN, MISSION SPECIALIST, CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY: From the cabin of integrity here, as we surpass the furthers distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.

TAPPER: So amazing. The voice of Canadian astronaut there, Jeremy Hansen. The Artemis II crew broke the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, 56 years ago, traveling more than --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: -- 248,655 miles to be exact, but who's counting? Keep in mind, they're still going. Every second that passes, they have broken another record. In the next two hours, that crew is going to reach its farthest point from Earth and make its closest approach to the moon. As we take live pictures from NASA, the four astronauts are in the middle of a seven-hour flyby of the moon, describing the moon already as more brown in color up close versus it appearing white and gray from Earth.

It is the next hour when these astronauts reach the far side of the moon that will be so crucial because that's when the astronauts are going to briefly lose communication with mission control. That's expected during our show, around 6:44 p.m. Eastern. We're going to bring you these historic moments live as they happen.

The other big story today, we have breaking news in our "World Lead," President Donald Trump today holding a news conference that lasted nearly 90 minutes as just over 24 hours remain until his 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline. That's his latest deadline for Iran to make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. If that does not happen, President Trump said this is what will happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night. Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again. I mean complete demolition by 12 o'clock. And it will happen over a period of four hours if we wanted to. We don't want that to happen. We may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: As for the status of those negotiations, the president said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I can't talk about ceasefire. But I can tell you that we have an active, willing participant on the other side. They would like to be able to make a deal. I can't say any more than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now, earlier today, President Trump had called a proposal to implement a 45-day ceasefire a significant step, but not good enough. The Iranian regime has also rejected the proposal and called for a permanent end to the war. That's according to Iranian state-run media.

But President Trump's threats against power plants and bridges, as you just heard there, those are civilian infrastructure that innocent Iranian citizens need to live, hospitals need to function, schools need, and on and on. The president was asked whether striking those would be punishing 90 million Iranians for the actions of the regime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom. And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding. And when we leave and we're not hitting those areas, they're saying, please, come back, come back, come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: In addition, of course, targeting civilian infrastructure is widely considered to constitute a war crime, though the Pentagon could claim dual use, civilian and military, of some of that infrastructure as a defense. Either way, President Trump also would not say whether the war is winding down.

Before President Trump took questions, the majority of the remarks in his news conference were focused on the harrowing, successful, impressive rescue mission of that U.S. airman who was stranded deep inside enemy territory in Iran. The President began by saying his administration is searching for the leaker behind some of the initial reports that an Air Force officer was missing in Iran.

[17:05:06]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It became a much more difficult operation because a leaker leaked. They put that man at great risk, and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him because everyone now knows that we're going in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The concern is understandable. But President Trump then turned to threaten jail time for the journalist who did the story and said that if that reporter refuses to get up their source, they could go to prison. That's interesting because one would think that the freedom of the press is one of the many principles our brave service members are fighting for.

On the mission itself, we heard from the president, the Joint Chiefs chairman, the defense secretary, and the CIA director today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN RATCLIFFE, DIRECTOR, CIA: The daunting challenge comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert. This was also a race against the clock as it was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible while at the same time CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: It is an incredible story and a remarkable undertaking by the U.S. Military and an incredibly detailed account of the mission from top officials at the press conference, even including the CIA disinformation campaign.

We're going to provide for you more details about that mission in a minute, all of which shows that the Trump administration is indeed capable of giving detailed reports when they want to because, frankly, we're still waiting on the Trump administration to provide anything close to this level of detail on the investigation into whether the U.S. mistakenly bombed an Iranian school on the first day of the war, killing at least 168 children and 14 teachers, according to Iranian state media, we're still waiting for details on whether there was adequate missile defense for that March 1st strike that killed six U.S. service members at that operation center in Kuwait, we're still waiting for details on what happened during the March 12th refueling accident that killed six crew members.

The administration has also not explained in any detailed way how two U.S. aircraft were downed by Iran, considering that President Trump has repeatedly said Iran has no air defenses.

If a government and a military, which you fund with your hard-earned tax dollars, only deliberately provide information to the public when things go right and not when things go terribly, horribly, tragically wrong, if they only do this in a one-sided and systematic way, well, there is a word for that, and the word is not transparency.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska joins me now. He sits on the House Armed Services Committee. He's a former Air Force brigadier general who flew combat missions over Iraq. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. If Iran does not make a deal that is acceptable to President Trump, he says tomorrow the U.S. is going to bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages by hitting these power plants and bridges, would you support that action?

REP. DON BACON (R-NE): First all, the optimal solution here is to get a government that's friendly towards United States and its neighbors and that doesn't want nuclear weapons. That is the ultimate goal. I don't know that we're going to get there because they have a vote. And we're probably not going to put much ground forces, if any, in Iran to force that kind of regime change.

Now, to your question about bridges and power plants, I was taught targeting to some degree while I was in the Air Force. It's hard to hit bridges or power plants that directly enable the military or the senior leadership. The only -- if these power plants only support the people, then you get into targeting civilians, and that's not right. But if you could hit the appropriate power plants or bridges that would affect military movement or decision-making by the, you know, the government of Iran, that's a different story.

I think the president more than anything, though, is posturing to tell Iran, come to the table and let's settle this peacefully from here on out. So, I think this is a negotiation tactic more than anything.

TAPPER: The president says that the Iranian people, he believes, would be willing to suffer through this decimation of their infrastructure because of how bad the regime is. Obviously, the regime is evil. But if there's no plan to help actually topple the regime and install leaders with an ideology that is better to the Iranian people, embracing more of human rights, are the Iranian people going to benefit at all from this?

BACON: Well, I don't think most Iranians want to go without power and electricity. Nobody wants to have that happen. I do think most Iranians want a government that's more representative of the people, that respects human rights. Clearly, this regime does not. I mean, they're hanging and shooting people every day for showing any dissent to the government.

[17:10:01] I think 30,000 is the minimum number. It could be 40 or 50,000 Iranians have been murdered. So, it's very hard to get regime change with air power alone. We just have to acknowledge that. I think we've weakened the leadership. I think we have them on their heels. And perhaps now, if an uprising occurs again by the people, maybe this government will just collapse. But that's a hard feat to do with air power alone. And I don't believe the president nor Americans want significant ground forces in Iran. That's not something I would be well embraced.

So, I think there's -- we hope the regime falls. But if not, we're going to have to negotiate with the regime that is not exactly what we want, but maybe we get enough conditions that we're in a safer world because of these operations than we were before. This regime hated America. They've been at war with America for 47 years. They've killed approximately a thousand Americans. This is overdue. But the end state is a hard thing to get to and air power alone makes it hard.

TAPPER: You're a former combat pilot. So, I want to ask you about this weekend's rescue mission to extract the crew member who had been shot down over Iran. What stands out to you about the details of this rescue? How risky and complex it was compared to other past rescue missions?

BACON: I was actually more of a back-seater type, electronic warfare officer or a whizzo like this colonel was. Well, this mission was incredible. It was incredibly complex. It was dangerous. It was very well executed. But to get helicopters in that deep and some of those helicopters needed refueling on the ground, once you had the 130s land on the ground, you had to get the SEALs in, you had the search and rescue teams there, very complex.

And I think what made it possible was the air superiority that we had. We have, you know, unmanned aircraft flying around, spotting. The Iranians, as they were getting closer to the downed colonel, we were able to target those guys as they got close. So, we were able to impede the Iranians getting to this downed airman. This would not have been able to happen without air superiority, in my view. But it was very complex. I was so proud of the effort of the joint team. All the services were involved here. It was incredibly well done.

TAPPER: The president today again slammed NATO, calling NATO a paper tiger. He has recently said he's going to consider withdrawing the U.S. from NATO. You say that would be unacceptable. It would cause a civil war within the GOP conference. Have you tried to speak directly to the president about this to share your perspective?

BACON: I've not had direct conversation with him, but I have had with members of his team. And I just want to restate, pulling out of NATO would be a disaster for decades to come. It would weaken America. America alone is a weaker America. And our European allies are democratic. They reflect our values. We need to work together with Europe on the world's problems. We need their help to deter Russia, we need Japan and Australia to help deter China, and we need allies around us in the Middle East. We can't do it alone. And I would point out that though there's some blame to go on both sides, the president's threats towards Greenland, Denmark, and Canada have really hurt our standing in Europe. I know some of the prime ministers and presidents personally, I know many of the ambassadors, and that caused a great damage. The trust between the European leaders towards President Trump is significantly weakened. I think it's going to take post, after Trump leaves, for us to be able to heal this if we even can then. So, great damage has been done, and I think it has hurt our national security by what has happened.

TAPPER: Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, thank you sir and thank you for your service as always.

BACON: Thank you.

TAPPER: Ahead, the daring U.S. operation to rescue that U.S. airman in Iran, including a decoy campaign to throw off the enemy. Plus, the Artemis II lunar mission traveling well beyond where any other human has gone before, earlier describing moon's craters as lampshades with tiny pinprick holes. This is a historic mission. It's happening during our hours. You're going to see every live feed possible here on "The Lead." We're going to squeeze in a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[17:15:00]

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TAPPER: In our "World Lead," injured and stranded deep inside enemy territory, the odds were stacked against the lone American flier downed in Iran. But thanks to the efforts of hundreds of U.S. Military personnel and the coordination of intelligence agents, that airman will now return home safely.

CNN's Jim Sciutto takes an in-depth look now at what went on behind the scenes of this complex rescue mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (voice-over): With the missing U.S. pilot now safe, President Trump declared Sunday, militarily, one of the best Easters ever.

TRUMP: In the United States Military, we leave no American behind. We don't do it.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down during a night mission over Southwest Iran on Friday, forcing its two U.S. airmen to eject, leaving them wounded and stranded. The jet was from the 48th Fighter Wing out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath Base in England, according to a source briefed on the executive summary of the search and rescue operation.

U.S. search and rescue teams extracted one of the airmen shortly after the crash. But the fate of the second, a colonel, remained uncertain. For a harrowing 24 hours, he evaded Iranian forces, scaled a mountain ridge, and awaited rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple and it was powerful. He sent a message, God is good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES STAVRIDIS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST, FORMER SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER OF NATO: This is a full colonel. So, this is somebody who's, you know, 45 plus years old, probably went to Sears School a long time ago, who climbs 7,000 feet, uses his transponder, does it all on a broken ankle.

[17:20:00]

I can't wait to see this guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Due to the terrain and hostile Iranian forces in hot pursuit, senior officials describe the operation as one of the most challenging combat search and rescue missions. The CIA helped deploy a campaign of misdirection to confuse Iranians over the airman's location and condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RATCLIFFE: We deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses to a daunting challenge comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): The CNN has learned that the elite Army Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team 6 were among the hundreds of special operators and intelligence personnel involved in the mission. The president said the massive undertaking involved 155 aircrafts, including four bombers, 64 fighters, and 48 refueling tankers. Because of the Iranian sand at the landing site, several of the aircraft could not take off again and had to be destroyed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: This was an incredibly brave and courageous mission, and a testament to the courage, skill, and tenacity of the Joint Force and our leaders, and especially a daylight option, having the guts to try means so much to so many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO (on camera): The president revealed other details from the mission, saying that the A-10 Warthog, the other jet to go down that day, was taking part in the original search and rescue missions. He also revealed that hundreds of personnel were involved in this, though Major Dan -- General Dan Caine there said that he did not want to reveal that, he wanted to keep it private. The other thing the president revealed was that a jet had been taken down by a shoulder- fired missile. He didn't specify as to whether that was the F-15 or the A-10 which flies lower but still notable given risks going forward.

The final thing I'll note, Jake, is that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said that tonight, U.S. forces will be striking their largest number of targets since the start of the war.

TAPPER: All right, Jim Sciutto, thank you so much. Appreciate it. The breaking news from space this hour, the crew of Artemis II flying even farther from Earth and closer to the far side of the moon. And as they go, they're offering new observations on the moon. We're back with this historic moment for humanity next.

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[17:25:00]

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TAPPER: In our "Politics Lead," as polls continue to show most Americans oppose the U.S. war on Iran, President Trump had this message for those who are not fans of the military operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They're foolish because the war is about one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Let's bring in our panel. Mike Dubke, just last week, 67 percent of Americans say they disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Iran. The president thinks that they're foolish?

MIKE DUBKE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP WHITE HOUSE: I think what the president is really going for here is to talk about the bigger picture of why we are in there, and I think that was part of the reason last Wednesday he went out to address the American people. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the administration is selling to the American people why we have gas prices that have gone up a dollar or more in certain areas and why the American people are suffering on this.

I wish he wouldn't use words like foolish, but I do think there's something to talk about. You had Congressman Don Bacon on earlier, and I thought he made a very good point about this was a nasty, terrible regime. TAPPER: Sure.

DUBKE: They should not have nuclear weapons. Let's keep talking about that. Let's keep talking about that aspect of it. But we're there now. We've got to do what we have to do.

TAPPER: So, today, President Trump was asked about his Easter morning Truth Social post where he told Iran, and again, I apologize to the parents out there, you have three seconds to change the channel or mute the T.V., but the president wrote, "Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Just watch. Praise be to Allah." Here's what President Trump had to say about that today when asked by a reporter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Why did you use such vulgar language in that Truth Social post?

TRUMP: Only to make my point. I think you've heard it before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, today, Republican Congressman David Kustoff of Tennessee defended the post, telling CNN it's -- quote -- "language that probably only Donald Trump can use." What do you think?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, probably only Donald Trump can use because he's the only one who would use that kind of off the rails, crazy, disgusting, vulgar language. It doesn't make it right and it doesn't make him a better president. In fact, I think it does a huge disservice to him with the very voters that he needs, with all of those people who are against the war, all of those people that are now saying Donald Trump is not fit for office.

This kind of language feeds into those thoughts and especially when they go with the lack of mission, the lack of explanation to the American people as to why we went into Iran because it keeps changing every time you ask him. So, this language underscores that.

TAPPER: Today, CIA Director John Ratcliffe described the daring rescue of the U.S. airman from a remote part of Iran as -- quote -- "comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of the desert." But, of course, when a strike hit an Iranian elementary school last month, killing at least 168 children, 14 teachers, here is what President Trump said when pressed by reporters on his claim that Iran might be responsible for that horrific incident.

[17:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Because I just don't know enough about it. I think it's something that I was told is under investigation. But tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have tomahawks. They buy them from us. But I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I'm willing to live with that report.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Mike, do you think that the administration would serve itself better if it was as transparent about the things that don't go well as it is with the, you know, heroic missions?

MIKE DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I mean, yes, of course. I do think that there's a -- especially with something in which consensus is around the fact that a mistake was made. This was an elementary school next to a Revolutionary Guard installation. It was one of 600 hits on that one particular day. And it was incredibly unfortunate. Of course, that is, I think, you need to -- in order to have the world look and listen to the good things that you say, sometimes you have to be honest about the bad things that you would say.

One thing I do want to point out, and I do agree with you about the language, I totally agree with you about the language, where I disagree is I do think that there are some supporters that actually love to see that tweet. And you are absolutely right. Donald Trump can say things that other politicians can't.

But there was a reason for that. And I think that, you know, he's got to keep his base in order -- when you talk about 67 percent, that's a high number. But the Republican mega base is still with him. Now, it's slipping a little, but it's still with him and he needs to keep them.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But the problem is with that kind of language, when you go into war, you want a broad coalition of people within your own country to support you. That kind of language does not go to that. When you add to that the lack of communication and camaraderie to our own allies, when you want to throw our own allies under the bus, you're not going to get a coalition of people who support you at home and you certainly aren't going to get a coalition of people who support you abroad.

TAPPER: Let me ask you a question, Maria, because obviously we're -- this is a midterm election year and the war is top of mind. And, you know, I don't think there's any question that most people don't like paying higher gas prices, et cetera. But the argument that, you know, the Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed and his regime are evil, they oppress their own people, they, you know, throw gay people off of buildings, they hang people who protest for democracy, they fund terrorism and on and on, they should not ever have a nuclear weapon.

CARDONA: Absolutely.

TAPPER: That -- it's tough to argue with any of those assertions. So what would Democrats say if somebody says, you don't like it? So you wish the mullahs were still in power or you want the mullahs to be able to get a nuclear weapon? What should the Democrats say?

CARDONA: I think what most Democrats will say is they will agree with all of it. And they have. No one has said that they are upset that these mullahs are, you know, that they died and that they're hurt and no one wants them to have a nuclear weapon. But what they will say, Jake, is there was a deal in place that kept Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon for at least 10 years that kept them at 3 percent of uranium enrichment and included inspections, tough inspections that they agreed with.

DUBKE: We're not going to agree on that.

CARDONA: Donald Trump was the one who said, you know what, let's take us out of that. We know less now about what they do.

DUBKE: About very good reasons about it.

CARDONA: Plus, they're keeping the uranium underground now per Trump, and that doesn't help.

DUBKE: The people on the ground, depending on if those bombs hit last time.

TAPPER: Maria and Mike, thanks.

CARDONA: Thanks Jake.

[17:33:37]

TAPPER: We're monitoring the situation from space is the crew of Artemis II feeds back historic observations of the Moon. The most critical parts of this evening's flyby are coming up.

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TAPPER: In our Out of This World Lead today, a record-breaking day for the four astronauts on the Artemis II mission who have now ventured farther from Earth than any humans in history. And as if that's not enough, in a little more than an hour, they're going to reach their farthest point from Earth and their closest point to the Moon. CNN's Randi Kaye takes us inside this historic day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the cabin of Integrity here, as we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Farther from Earth than anyone ever before. The Artemis II astronauts lunar flyby of the far side of the Moon expected to last about seven hours.

DR. CYNTHIA EVANS, ARTEMIS GEOLOGY TRAINING LEAD: They'll be able to see the whole disc of the moon. It'll be about the size of a basketball that you hold at arm's length.

KAYE (voice-over): The flyby began just before 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, about an hour after Artemis II broke Apollo 13's record for traveling the farthest from Earth. At 7:07 p.m. the Orion capsule should reach its maximum distance from our planet. More than 252,000 miles away. The astronauts have a list of about 35 lunar targets, never before seen by human eyes, that they are hoping to observe during the flyby. One of the favorites, Oriental Basin, a massive multi-ring basin similar to a bullseye.

DR. JULIANE GROSS, ARTEMIS CAMPAIGN SAMPLE CURATION LEAD: It is the most stunning basin on the Moon. With the lighting conditions that we are now having during the flyby, they're going to, I think, see some very dramatic views of that basin with shadows and depth perception that humans are so good at to, like, really understand and see.

[17:40:02]

KAYE (voice-over): Their closest approach to the moon is expected to put the astronauts about 4,070 miles away from the lunar surface. They're paying close attention to color and texture.

EVANS: We're hoping that with the closer proximity to the Moon's surface, that they see things in more three dimensions.

KAYE (voice-over): The flyby was designed so the crew can study the moon in pairs. One astronaut with a camera lens that acts almost like binoculars, the other at the window relying on just the naked eye.

GROSS: The entire science team is really excited that this is the first stepping stone. They're going to inspire the next generation of explorers. I'm hoping that this can bring all of us together, you know, as Earthlings.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And, Jake, just about an hour from now, the crew aboard Artemis II is expected to lose contact with the folks here at Mission Control in Houston for about 40 minutes, but they are not concerned about that at all. The crew is also expected to take about 1,000 pictures. Scientists here are hoping that they'll see new craters and maybe some new landing areas for Artemis in 2028. Jake?

TAPPER: So exciting. Randi Kaye, thanks so much.

Joining us now to discuss former astronauts Scott Altman and Garrett Reisman. Thanks so much for being with us. Scott, what will the astronauts be able to see when they reach that far side of the Moon?

SCOTT "SCOOTER" ALTMAN, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Well, the biggest thing to me is they're going to see the whole Moon at once, as they said, like a basketball at arm's length. And while we got to see the Earth from orbit, you never got to see the whole Earth, and I think that perspective is just going to be incredible. I'd love to be there looking at it.

TAPPER: So, Garrett, we know that the crew is going to lose communication with Mission Control, with Earth, for a short time, starting in about an hour. Are there any major risks, extraordinary risks they're taking today, other than the ones inherent with going up in space as an astronaut?

GARRETT REISMAN, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Well, you know, first of all, I think that that break that they're about to have is going to be very welcome. It's nice when you have a little peace and quiet, you know. You go up to space and you think it's going to be quiet, but there's people talking to you all the time.

And it's a good break for people on the ground, too. They can go to the bathroom, they can go get a bite to eat. So I think it'll be welcome. But you touch upon a good point. The only time that you're really going to miss having that direct line of communication is if something goes wrong. Now, so far, the vehicle is performing flawlessly. It's been a great mission, knock on wood. And I have every expectation it'll stay that way for 40 minutes.

TAPPER: So, Scott, one of the astronauts on board, Jeremy Hansen, asked on behalf of his team to name one of the recently discovered craters on the Moon. They named it Carroll, in honor of Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll Wiseman. She died in 2020 following a battle with cancer. Scott, what a moving moment.

ALTMAN: Yes, definitely a huge honor. Loved the way the crew has come together, the whole team. You know, nobody goes into space by themselves. You've got your crewmates, but you also have the whole support staff, your families as well, that make it possible for you to do these kind of things. So I think it's incredible to honor Reid's late wife. That just is so touching.

TAPPER: And, Gary, you know Reid, right?

REISMAN: Yes, and I remember, you know, that time. In fact, I spent some time with him right after he lost Carroll. And going through that, the anguish for him and for his daughters, just -- they went through so much. And so this is bringing a tear to everybody's eye that knows the story. It's just wonderful that they created this tribute to Carroll.

TAPPER: Right now we're showing our viewers, you're looking inside the Orion capsule. It's a little dark there, right now, but that's what you're looking at. That's -- they turned off the lights there so that they can see the Moon better. Scott, astronaut Christina Koch sent this message earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA KOCH, ASTRONAUT: We noticed we entered the lunar sphere of influence about an hour ago. And sure enough, we are now falling to the Moon rather than rising away from Earth. It is an amazing milestone. Also, earlier we had the Earth out as a crescent out the side hatch and the Moon out window three. And definitely by far the Moon is bigger than the Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So they're seeing angles of this planet that few of us will ever see. Tell us about that, Scott. ALTMAN: No, it's amazing. That perspective to have, to look back at the Earth from the Moon and to look at the Moon from where they are, just an awe-inspiring moment, I think, for all humanity, to know that we can reach out and put people, humans, out there in space to do great things. So I'm excited for the future. I think this is a step in the right direction that we're going to do more on the Moon and pave the way to go into Mars.

[17:45:09]

TAPPER: Can I just say, though, Garrett, like, it's so cool to be an astronaut. I keep thinking about that scene in terms of endearment when Jack Nicholson has his kitchen. He's a former astronaut. He has his kitchen decorated with all this astronaut stuff, and he's proud. He says, only 95 astronauts ever, and I'm one of them. And it must feel like that sometimes to be, I mean, I know you're going to be humble when I ask you about this, but, like, it's pretty cool.

REISMAN: It's a good gig. I do rock it at elementary school career day, which we've got coming up next week. So I do kind of, I do very well on those occasions. But, you know, it is amazing. And one thing I want to say about this crew that, you know, there's a lot of really, a lot of my colleagues are really all wonderful people, but this crew is very special. These four people are really extraordinary, and I think they're doing a much better job of communicating their thoughts and emotions as they approach the moon than we did during Apollo. It's a different kind of breed of astronaut, if you will. I remember we had Neil Armstrong come --

ALTMAN: There's two Navy guys on this flight, so obviously they have to be good.

REISMAN: Fair enough. But I remember when Neil Armstrong came back and talked to our recent astronaut class, and somebody asked him that question, and I was just reminded of it when I heard Christina Koch talking about that the Earth was getting bigger, I mean, so the Earth was getting smaller and the moon was getting bigger. And so one of my classmates asked Neil that same question, what were you thinking at that moment? And he said, well, at that moment, the TLI burn had been complete, and so I could take all the ascent and TLI procedures, put them in a bag marked trash, and throw it behind me, and I never had to study that again. That was his emotions.

TAPPER: That sounds like me when I graduated from high school. All right, Scott Altman and Garrett Reisman, thank you so much. Really, really appreciate it.

Earlier, the crew of Artemis II got a glimpse of a lunar impact basin that some call the Moon's Grand Canyon. Never seen in person by humans. More of this historic moments of the journey coming up.

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[17:51:37] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bruins have captured their very first NCAA National Championship.

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TAPPER: What a moment. In our Sports lead, let's bring in one of the seniors from that new championship team, UCLA point guard Kiki Rice. Kiki, congratulations on that win. Wow. What does it mean to you to be a national champion and also to be part of this historic movement for the UCLA program?

KIKI RICE, GUARD, UCLA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Yes, you know, this is an absolutely fantastic feeling. This is what I came to UCLA to do. I came to help this program get to finals fours, win national championships, and to be able to go on such an incredible note on my last game of my senior year, it just felt so special. I mean, it's incredible to now be a part of the fantastic legacy that is UCLA sports and, you know, adding to the UCLA women's basketball legacy as well.

TAPPER: It's a big story internationally, but I have to tell you, here in Washington, D.C., where you're from, it is a huge story. Before the game, you said there was a sense of calm and confidence within the team. You knew you were going to win. What were the key moments in the lead up to the game that reinforced that confidence?

RICE: Yes, I just think you could tell, you know, with the way that we came out in warmups, the way we were prepared for the game, just our ability to really lock in and focus right from the beginning. We were basically leading the entire game. So just, I think, when you're on a team, you can feel the energy within the team of, you know, a dominant mentality. We wouldn't be denied. We were going to come out there and win that game regardless. It was just a feeling that we all had from the tip off.

TAPPER: So you were welcomed back to campus, not surprising, with a huge homecoming last night. Obviously, as I mentioned, the whole D.C. area, especially your hometown of Bethesda, celebrating you. What does that feel like, that kind of support, both here and on the UCLA campus?

RICE: It's really so special. I mean, when we got off the bus, it was pretty late, but there were a ton of people waiting outside the practice facility. You know, so many students, so many fans. And to see the growth over these past four years of the support of our team and the people in the stands at our games is so special. And then, of course, all the love that I've been able to receive over the past 24 hours from back home.

You know, so many of my coaches, my old Sidwell teammates and my teachers. It's been so fantastic because back home really has had such an amazing impact on me and it shaped me as the young woman that I am today. So just really grateful for all the love and support.

TAPPER: So we should note that, you know, you had shoulder surgery in the offseason. I mean, I know you know that, but the viewers might not know that. What was the recovery journey like, especially knowing this would be your senior year?

RICE: Yes, it was definitely tough. That was my first surgery. So it was a little bit nerve wracking, but I just knew I had to get it done. And it was basically a six-month recovery, so it was pretty long. I was out basically the whole offseason and just focusing on finding ways to get better, whether that was -- engaging and being in practice every single day. It was definitely tough, but yes.

TAPPER: What's next? What are you up to next? The WNBA draft is coming up.

RICE: Yes, WNBA draft is in less than 10 days. So it's a quick turnaround. I am done with classes. I'm a graduate, you know, so that's super exciting. But yes, it's going to be a quick turnaround. I'll get to my next city, get to the draft, and I'm just really excited for everything that's to come.

TAPPER: It's amazing. And just what has happened in women's athletics and women's basketball in just the last decade since you started playing. It must be just so awesome. Kiki Rice, congratulations, and thanks for joining us.

[17:55:10]

RICE: Thank you so much for having me.

TAPPER: This just in, a reminder of the exciting moment for humanity in space right now.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I also want to let you know that we have Dionna Glover with us in the viewing gallery. She's all smiles.

VICTOR GLOVER, ARTEMIS II PILOT: Well, you just got a bunch of cheers up here. Hey, babe. I love you from the Moon.

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TAPPER: I love you from the Moon. How amazing. Astronaut Victor Glover there reacting to the news that his wife was watching the big day here on Earth there in mission control. In just a few minutes, all communication is expected to briefly stop between the spacecraft and mission control. It's all planned, so don't worry about it. But we're covering this critical moment live.

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[18:00:06]

TAPPER: We're just moments away from a stunning space --