Return to Transcripts main page
The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Says, Won't be Rushed into Iran Deal; New Probe into World Cup Ticket Prices; 11 Presumed Dead After Chemical Tank Rupture. Will Trump Endorse Georgia Senate Race After Paxton's Success?; Discrimination Lawsuit Against NFL Can Go To Trial. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 27, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper.
This hour, President Trump says he's in no rush to make a deal with Iran and that the regime's efforts to outlast him will not work. Is that a sign that both sides are moving further apart from an agreement?
Plus, a new investigation launched today over the sky-high ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup, which is set to start in just a few weeks here in the U.S. Officials in New York and New Jersey say not only are the costs astronomical but some fans have been misled about what they actually were buying. New York Attorney General Letitia James is here ahead.
Plus, 11 people now presumed dead after a chemical tank ruptured in Washington State.
[18:00:01]
The tank contained 900,000 gallons of a mixture called white liquor, which can cause severe burns. It's creating treacherous conditions for the crews trying to recover the victims' bodies, and we just got an update from authorities. We're going to bring you those details.
The Lead tonight, President Trump is making it clear he will not be rushed into a deal to end the Iran war. He's expressing confidence in the status of negotiations while also threatening to resume the fight if an agreement cannot be reached.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Iran is very much intent. They want very much to make a deal. So far, they haven't gotten there. We're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be. Either that or we'll have to just finish the job.
They're negotiating on fumes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Today, the White House has expressed -- expressly denying the authenticity of a draft memo of the deal that Iran state broadcaster released details of.
CNN's Matthew Chance is in London. CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House for us. And, Alayna, let's start with you. President Trump appears optimistic about a deal. What else did he say at today's meeting?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, optimistic, but I'd argue, Jake, less optimistic actually than we've heard him in recent days. I think, really, the rhetoric from the president on the state of these negotiations from the cabinet meeting was essentially that he wants to seem, in many ways, not overeager. I think he's trying to push back against the impressions that he knows some people have that he is overeager and may be rushing into a deal with Iran. He argued today that he's not in a rush. And he actually had this one moment when he said, you know, he believed that the Iranians thought that they could outwait him knowing that the midterms are just months away. I want you to listen to how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They thought they were going to outwait me, you know? We'll outwait him. He's got the midterms. I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms. People understand it. They know that, very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: So, Jake, my take on this is I think he's trying to argue that he's not going to be pressured, at least politically speaking, into making a deal with Iran. Of course, I think it's hard to believe as well that Republicans' chances and their political viability in the November midterm elections is not weighing at all on him as he makes this decision.
But, look, some other things I think that were fascinating that we heard from the president today. One, he argued, you know, on this one issue of highly enriched uranium, this has been a red line for the president consistently throughout this entire ceasefire. He did show in recent days that he might be moving on that issue, perhaps allowing another country to go in to retrieve it, but he said today that it would be a non-starter for either China or Russia to go and retrieve that.
He also talked about the Strait of Hormuz, of course, another key part of all of this, and he essentially said that Iran can never control it. And he pushed back on this idea that was announced by Iranian state media today that Iran would continue to have control over it even after it would be properly reopened. He essentially said that it belongs to international waters, so pushed back on that a bit as well.
All to say, I think a little less rosy of a picture of where negotiations stand on this potential framework deal with Iran than it had been just a couple days ago.
TAPPER: And, Matthew, the White House says this draft memo being negotiated between the U.S. and Iran that was released by Iranian state media, they call it a complete fabrication. What are some of the details in that report?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Jake, they call it a complete fabrication, but, frankly, this framework for a memorandum of understanding that was broadcast by Iranian state television, I mean, in part, it reads pretty realistically. I mean, one of the clauses says that the U.S. will lift its blockade of Iranian ports. I mean, that blockade was imposed on the 13th of April. The United States has, you know, intervened to stop more than 100 vessels so far. I mean, clearly, if the war is to end, the United States would have to lift that blockade.
Another clause said that Iran would try to make sure that traffic through that strategic Strait of Hormuz return to pre-war levels within 30 days. That's certainly something that we know has been discussed as well. But it's that other issue, the issue of traffic being controlled by both Iran and Oman, which is the country just opposite Iran, which has a coastline on the Strait of Hormuz, that President Trump, as we were just hearing, really pushed back on basically sort of rejecting that kind of arrangement where Iran would have any control over it at all and Oman would have any control over it all, basically warning Oman not to interfere, saying that Oman will have to behave or we'll blow them up, or we'll have to blow them up.
Extraordinary threat being made to a country which, remember, is a close partner of the United States.
[18:05:03]
They've got a strong military alliance, and those kinds of words are not going to endear the White House to other Gulf states, Arab states, in the region as this crisis develops. Jake?
TAPPER: Matthew Chance in London, Alayna Treene at the White House, thanks to both of you.
Joining us now to discuss, CNN Global Affairs Analyst Brett McGurk. Brett, we've been in this we're close to a deal position now for a long, long time, and President Trump says they're close to a deal all the time, but also giving, like, mixed messages about, like, well, but if they don't do it, like, you know, I don't have to do the deal. From what you've seen, how close do you think the U.S. and Iran are to any sort of agreement to end the war?
BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think it's good the president said he's not in a rush, because I don't think we're close at all. I mean, I'm just- I'm watching kind of what's happening and what the Iranians are doing.
The easiest part is this first phase they're trying to negotiate, which is basically just open up the Strait of Hormuz. So, we'll lift our blockade, we'll let ships go through, Iran can trade its oil, kind of status quo ante. But even that is extremely difficult. As Matthew just said, the Iranians are insisting that they're going to control the strait. So, they'll say what ships can go through in their new system, which we can't accept, and the president today said, we can't accept.
As we are negotiating to open the strait, Jake, the Iranians were laying mines in the strait just two days ago, and that led to a military exchange, a very one-sided military exchange. So, that's not a good sign. Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, has not been seen, but he came out with a written statement yesterday basically doubling down on, not surprising, because the regime is still very much intact, they have consolidated power, but doubling down on their ideology, their philosophy saying, we're committed to the end of Israel by within 25 years, what his father said, and getting the Americans out of the Middle East. This is their driving ideology. So, like Iran has not changed, and I just don't see the stars here lining up for a deal.
So, I've been saying this consistently through this crisis, I think we are pretty much where we have been, and I don't see a diplomatic way out of this right now. And even if you get the strait open, Jake, and Iran is then selling its oil and has that economic windfall, the idea that in phase two they're going to do the nuclear side of this is even more unlikely. So, I think we're pretty stuck. I think we're stuck, and we're in a stalemate.
TAPPER: So, Matthew just read the thing that the president said about Oman. That's the shorter term plan that would let Iran and Oman control the strait in order to allow traffic to begin. And I'm going to run the clip, and I just want people to remember Oman is a close U.S. ally. Okay, let's hear from the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The strait is going to be open to everybody. It's --
REPORTER: And who would control it?
TRUMP: It's international waters. Nobody's going to control it. We're going to watch over it. Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we'll have to blow them up. They understand that. They'll be fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: What's your reaction to that?
MCGURK: I watched that live and thought maybe he misspoke and thought he meant to say Iran, but the State Department has now put that out as a statement.
Oman is a close partner of the United States of America.
TAPPER: Right.
MCGURK: Believe me, they're close friends of ours. We do a lot with Oman. And that type of language, not only is it not going to go down well with Oman, but within the GCC and the Gulf states. They will rally around each other. So, I just think that it's really unnecessary. Now, it is true that we -- the international passageway of the Strait of Hormuz needs to remain an international passageway, as it has been, and we want to get back to that status quo, so there can't be some condominium arrangement between Iran and Oman, but the way to deal with that is you call the Omanis. They're close partners of ours.
TAPPER: So, you think the Omanis were just trying to like solve this problem that is crippling the world economy?
MCGURK: Yes. And I know the foreign minister of Oman. I actually know the sultan. I spent a lot of time in Oman. I've been to Oman negotiating with the Iranians a lot. So, anyway, that's not helpful.
But that type, it suggests to me, Jake, we're not close to a deal.
TAPPER: Yes.
MCGURK: If we were on the breakthrough of a deal, you would see the rhetoric decrease.
TAPPER: Yes. We're so far away that we're actually threatening to blow up Oman, one of our allies.
MCGURK: Yes.
TAPPER: Brett McGurk, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and expertise as always.
President Biden is suing the Justice Department. He's trying to stop them from releasing audio recordings and transcripts of conversations he had with his ghostwriter of his memoir, conversations from 2016 and 2017. Does he have a case, and why do Republicans want these files out there?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:10:00]
TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, former President Joe Biden is suing the Justice Department. The lawsuit filed Tuesday morning is an attempt to block the release of recordings and transcripts of then former Vice President Biden's private conversations with the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir. The materials were originally obtained by Special Counsel Robert Hur during his investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents during the Biden presidency, that investigation.
Let's bring in CNN's Paula Reid. Paula, why does the Justice Department even want to release these documents?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it depends who you ask. Some people would say it's about transparency. The Heritage Foundation has been clear in a separate case that they want these because they believe that these tapes will reveal that there were indications of Biden aging and memory lapse as far back as these tapes, which is 2016, 2017. But this is part of this larger ongoing debate between the Trump administration and the Biden camp about how much privacy a former president, or in this case it's really about his time as vice president is due. And in a filing last night, Biden's lawyers wrote, quote, every American, including a sitting or former vice president, has a right to privacy in the personal conversations he has had within his own home, and when the U.S. Justice Department obtains that private information through a criminal investigation, the Justice Department bears a particular responsibility to protect it from disclosure.
But as you know, there is no love lost between the Trump administration and the Biden administration, particularly when it comes to the Justice Department.
[18:15:00]
TAPPER: On another matter, hundreds of press releases, speaking of transparency from the Justice Department, this is the opposite of transparency from the Justice Department. Hundreds of press releases that detailed the charges against the January 6th Capitol rioters, they've been wiped from the Justice Department's website, including one press release about a man who's currently facing a child solicitation case. The man pleaded guilty to attacking police with bear spray and a metal whip during the riot.
Why is the Justice Department like hiding this guy's press release?
REID: Well, two things --
TAPPER: Well, I'm choosing my words carefully, but my disgust for that kind of crime is considerable.
REID: Reasonable. So, in the DOJ statement here, they're not being quiet about it. They are, quote, proud to reverse the Justice Department's weaponization under the Biden administration. So, going back to this tit-for-tat to the Biden administration and the Trump Justice Department saying, I mean, they're on the record for why they did this, we will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes, this includes stripping DOJ's website, of partisan propaganda.
Okay, I got to tell you, I've covered DOJ for over a decade. That website, that is a true, sort of a historical record of all the things the Justice Department has done, even if your sentence has been commuted or you've been pardoned, as most of the people who were prosecuted, convicted, pleaded guilty in January 6th.
It's surprising to me that they'd take the press release off, right, because those are official documents. That's what happened, that's what the jury decided, the judge decided, the individual pleaded to. But here, they're calling it partisan propaganda, and loudly bragging about the fact that they pulled down this document.
TAPPER: And just a reminder that we're talking about a guy who pleaded guilty to attacking police with bear spray and a metal whip, and the Justice Department is painting that guy as a victim of a partisan witch hunt, unbelievable.
REID: He might also get money soon too, right? All these people are eligible to apply for that anti-weaponization fund.
TAPPER: I was already in a bad mood. You didn't need to --
REID: Sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to poke the bear.
TAPPER: Poke the bear spray.
REID: Spray the bear.
TAPPER: Today, we learned that the former attorney general, Pam Bondi, has thyroid cancer. She's now recovering from treatment. Obviously, we all wish her well in her recovery. You recently spoke with her. How's she doing?
REID: Yes, we reached out to her about these reports this morning. She confirmed that she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after leaving the Justice Department in April. She was replaced by her deputy, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. She has undergone treatment, including a surgery just a few weeks ago. She says she's doing well, even though she continues to recover.
But, look, Jake, this has been a really difficult year for Bondi. She has this cancer diagnosis shortly after she's fired from being attorney general. She has seen a lot of controversy, especially over her handling of the Epstein files. So, this continues to be a really difficult year for the former attorney general, and it may get worse before it gets better.
On Friday, she is expected to sit for a deposition with the House Oversight Committee to answer questions about the widely criticized handling of the Epstein files.
TAPPER: Yes. And, obviously, just to reiterate, everybody's thoughts and prayers are with her battle against thyroid cancer.
Paula Reid, thank you so much.
There is a recovery mission underway tonight for nine people missing after this disastrous chemical tank rupture in Washington State. What we're learning about a potential cause, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
TAPPER: Our National Lead now, recovery efforts are underway for nine missing workers after a deadly tank rupture at a Washington State paper plant. Today, authorities confirmed that two people have died and the nine employees unaccounted for are presumed to be dead.
Let's bring in CNN's Nick Watt. Nick, what are officials in Washington State saying about this operation? NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, listen, Jake, they say that early this morning this moved from being a potential rescue operation to a recovery operation. They're still trying to locate the bodies of those nine people who are missing.
Now, yesterday, ten people were taken to the hospital. One of them was a firefighter, treated and released. Two of those people have since died. So, right now, we've got two confirmed dead, nine more missing and presumed dead.
Now, the representative, the local rep from the area, called what people have seen. She said that they were unthinkable horrors.
Now, here's what happened. That huge tank that you're looking at there, that had about 900,000 gallons of something called white liquor. This is an extremely caustic, extremely strong alkaline that is so potent, they use it at this plant to basically break wood chips down to pulp. So, imagine what happens when that comes into contact with a human being. The people in the hospital are dealing with burns, breathing issues, eye issues.
The other complicating factor here, Jake, was that a fire hydrant was also compromised. So, you had a lot of water along with about half a million gallons of this white liquor sloshing around inside that plant. The fire chief said at some points emergency workers were in water that was waist or chest-deep. That's contaminated water, highly toxic water.
So, right now, what they're saying is this is going to be a very slow and deliberate operation to find those bodies and to treat them with dignity. Jake?
TAPPER: Nick, what are you learning about the two confirmed victims in this tragedy?
WATT: Well, so far, we've got a name for one of them, Gilbert Bernal. His daughter has confirmed on Facebook that he passed away. She called him a one-of-a-kind grandfather. I really can't picture our lives without him.
But, listen, this is a small mill town, less than 40,000 people. This plant's been there for 50 years, more than 50 years. About 500 people work there, so, so many people in that town, Jake, will know somebody who was lost in this tragedy.
Back to you.
TAPPER: Horrible. Nick Watt, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
The World Cup is set to start in just a few weeks, but the sky-high ticket prices are setting off another investigation before the first match even begins.
[18:25:06]
Those details next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: In our Sports Lead now, the biggest soccer games in the world are coming to your hometown, and you can't watch. That is unless you can shell out some serious cash. Official World Cup match tickets are going for upwards of $11,000, with resale reaching as high as $2 million.
These outrageous prices led New York and New Jersey to launch investigations into FIFA just weeks before the games are set to begin. Attorneys General Letitia James of New York and Jennifer Davenport of New Jersey released a statement today announcing they have subpoenaed FIFA, seeking information about its ticketing practices for the eight World Cup matches set to take place in New Jersey.
CNN's Brynn Gingras joins me now. Brynn, what do they expect to find?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, they're looking at how many tickets were allocated for these different games.
[18:30:05]
Not only, Jake, in New York-New Jersey Stadium, MetLife, as we know it here, of course, but also if a New York, New Jersey consumer bought tickets at a different stadium for the World Cup, they want to know more about that as well.
So, they have a very wide scope of this investigation that they're looking into. And, look, Jake, I talked to a fan who's based in Washington State and actually said he hopes his attorney general takes some similar action, but he basically told me this story about how he went online, waited in a queue for 12 hours to get World Cup tickets in Seattle, finally got to a point where he could pick his two seats. He said they were pretty good seats, on the side of the pitch, not behind a goalpost, waited another five minutes to check out, finally paid $515 each for those tickets. And then when he got the confirmation, his seats were in a completely different area of the stadium.
These are the kinds of stories that were put out in the press, and what the New York Attorney General's Office said to me, basically, was they heard about these stories and now they want to know more. Why did this happen? How did this happen? Did they break any laws?
And they actually aren't the first attorneys general to take action. California also has put into an inquiry with FIFA for similar questions, you know, wondering what sort of disclosures are given to these buyers before they purchase tickets.
So, there's a lot of questions that are outstanding here. And the big question for fans, as I talked to one, is, will there be any recourse? Will there be any restitution? Of course, the games start in just a couple of weeks.
FIFA at the moment is saying that they have no comment on these investigations that are now open, but the fans are telling me that they're just happy someone is at least on their side, because what they're dealing with is really just taking away from the whole entire experience.
TAPPER: All right. Brynn Gingras, thank you so much.
And joining me now to discuss is New York Attorney General Letitia James. General James, thanks for joining us.
So, exactly what information are you seeking from FIFA?
LETITIA JAMES (D), NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: So first let me just tell you that this is the most expensive game -- World Cup game in the history of World Cups, and so many fans are really excited that the World Cup is coming to this region. But, unfortunately, FIFA has engaged in this ticketing scheme and these high-priced tickets.
And so we issued subpoena, I along with the attorney general of New Jersey. And we are seeking information with regards to their pricing, the ticketing, and the marketing that they are engaging in because they are accountable, obviously, to consumers. And I have a responsibility and a duty to protect consumers. And we have been reviewing media accounts which indicate that from October 25th to November 26, FIFA has raised the price of tickets for 90 of its 104 games, their matches, to almost 34 percent. And the final game at Giant Stadium has increased to the tune of where ticket prices are at $4,000.
And I've heard from consumers, and I've read media reports and so it's incumbent upon me to look into this and to investigate, and so we issued subpoenas to get some answers.
TAPPER: So, I don't have to tell you that investigations can take months, if not years, while the World Cup is going to start in just a few weeks. Realistically, will you be able to have achieved anything by when the games start?
JAMES: We'll probably get some information, but we are -- this is a long game. And so what we are seeking, if in fact they have violated the law, if they've engaged in deceptive business practices, we are looking for, you know, perhaps some reimbursement to consumers, as well as some injunctive relief, some behavioral changes going forward so that this does not happen to consumers again.
You know, it's also important that we determine whether or not they're using dynamic pricing or some other scheme to increase the prices whether or not they're looking at algorithms or personal data of individuals.
Again, this is the most expensive World Cup in history despite the fact that, you know, so many individuals are purchasing these tickets because they're really excited about the World Cup coming to this region. But it is unacceptable that FIFA used misleading ticketing schemes and change prices for consumers who desperately want to see these games.
TAPPER: Your counterpart across the country, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sent a letter to FIFA a few weeks ago about potentially misleading ticket prices. Have you talked to him or any other attorneys general across the country other than the New Jersey attorney general?
JAMES: We're speaking to a number of other attorneys general across the country, including my good friend, Rob Bonta of California. And, obviously, we will share notes and make a determination as to whether or not, what our legal options are going forward.
[18:35:04]
But at this point it's just fact-finding.
TAPPER: So, on the subject of ticket prices, congratulations if you're a Knick fan. I assume you are. And --
JAMES: I am a Knicks fan.
TAPPER: Yes. So, the Knicks are making their first appearance in the finals since 1999. According to resale sites today, a ticket to a Knick game is going to cost at least $3,000 for one ticket to one game. Are you worried about that, about any potential fraud or corrupt sales price practices in that case, or is this just a matter of meeting the market where the demand is?
JAMES: So, listen, we are looking obviously at all ticket schemes, be it the Knicks, be it the World Cup, be it FIFA. At the end of the day, our responsibility is to consumer to ensure that they are being treated fairly. And if in fact we uncover or if there's any complaints with respect to the ticketing schemes at the Knicks games, obviously, we will look into that matter as well.
TAPPER: President Trump says he's planning on going to one of the Knick games. Are you hoping to say hi while he's in town, while he's courtside, maybe pop over?
JAMES: We welcome the president of the United States to a Knicks game.
TAPPER: You also recently sued two crypto companies over their prediction markets, essentially saying that they're running unlicensed gambling operations. And one of those companies, Coinbase, responded by claiming that these markets are regulated by the federal government, not the states, as it should be, and President Trump, he seems to agree with that. He posted on Truth Social yesterday that, quote, we cannot have scum, like Chris Christie, Letitia James, Tim Walz, and J.B. Pritzker setting the rules. I guess that's a slam against state regulation as opposed to federal regulation. What's your response?
JAMES: New York gambling laws are clear, and these companies are running unlicensed gambling operations, and I have a responsibility and duty to ensure that these prediction markets conform with the law and we are not preempted by the federal government.
And so we will continue our litigation, and we will respond to the lawsuit that has been filed by the Commodities Future Trading Commission. And I would hope that the president of the United States obviously would use more respectful language.
TAPPER: New York Attorney General Letitia James, thanks so much for joining us on The Lead today. I appreciate it.
JAMES: Thank you.
TAPPER: A Republican congressman faced a flood of criticisms during a town hall last night. Is this a larger sign of voter unhappiness with the Republican Party? Our panel weighs in next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, a stunning new admission from former First Lady Jill Biden when asked about her husband's disastrous 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you horrified as you saw it unfold?
JILL BIDEN, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: I wasn't horrified. I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since, never.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or since?
BIDEN: Yes, or since.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've never seen him like that?
BIDEN: Never, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened?
BIDEN: I don't know what happened. I mean, when I -- as I watched it, I thought, oh my God, he's having a stroke. And it scared me to death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: My panel joins me now. Doug, oh my God, he's having a stroke, was not the reaction, the official reaction of the Biden White House or the Biden campaign. Here's Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary at the time. This is six days after the debate, what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: So, he had a cold, and you all heard directly, you heard from him during the debate. He had a hoarse voice. Many of you reached out to me and my team and some other members of the White House asking what was going on. We confirmed that he had a cold. (END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: We already talked about this in the last panel, but I did want to give you an opportunity to comment.
DOUG HEYE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes. Look, Joe Biden said that he did a great job after the debate, and the reality is I remember watching that debate very clearly. Before Joe Biden even said a word, I saw his face and said, this election's over. And I think that's the reaction that a lot of voters had, and ultimately goes to why we're exactly where we are right now. It was a terrible moment for the president.
TAPPER: So, let's talk about where we are right now, turning to 2026 politics. Republican Congressman Mike Flood of Nebraska, a safe Republican district, he faced a barrage of boos and criticism at his town hall yesterday. The many points of contention, including Trump's $1.8 billion so-called anti-weaponization fund, the Epstein files, the White House ballroom, and much, much more. Here's a little sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE FLOOD (R-NE): Do you think that under President Joe Biden's four years in the White House, if President Trump was in the Epstein files, it would have been released?
Do you think illegal immigrants should vote in our elections?
We pay for it by making -- by making decisions.
So, your solution is to tax the rich?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So, you can't judge much by who turns out at a town hall, but is there something there about the mood of voters?
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Every day, we're in the field talking to voters, swing voters, in California, Maine, Texas, and this sentiment that you're hearing, we pick up in focus groups, we pick up in polling. There's an anxiety. There's an anxiety that actually, excuse my language, flooded Trump into office.
This same thing has not went away. We've carved over, Democrats will make excuses about this, Republicans will say this, but the electorate has been left out of all these conversations, and they feel, as gas prices go up, daycare goes up, utility bills. My utility bill in D.C. used to be $150 a month. It's $300 a month, and I got a good job. Regular folks out there are struggling at such a level, they're -- and we said this earlier in the segment, they blame Democrats, but they also blame Republicans. Republicans just happen to be in charge of everything right now.
[18:45:00]
TAPPER: And do you think that's part of why Ken Paxton won yesterday and beat John Cornyn?
HEYE: Oh, absolutely. And ultimately, it's not because of Donald Trump's endorsement. Trump endorsed him because Paxton was clearly going to win. The Cornyn team would have told you that, you know, at least privately.
TAPPER: It certainly helped, but --
HEYE: It helped. It's always the best endorsement you can get. But sometimes Trump endorsed a candidate and they win. Sometimes -- sometimes they lose. I think we overrate Donald Trump's hold on the Republican Party.
The reality is the base has a hold on Donald Trump, not the other way around necessarily.
TAPPER: So you -- you consult for James Talarico.
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes.
TAPPER: So -- he's the Democratic candidate. And like, obviously, you see, Republicans are there. I mean, Paxton in his acceptance speech, low T Talarico, Tala-freak-o, Tofu Talarico. I mean, they are painting him as weird woke guy that doesn't represent Texas.
That's a real risk, don't you think?
ROCHA: And it's definitely a strategy. Does it motivate people to come vote for Republican? That's the risk theyre taking. And it might as a strategist. But as I talk to people across Texas, theyre more worried about what I just talked about. And folks who really care about who eats meat instead of the price of meat are folks that already are Republican.
People in the middle are like, look, I don't care about all this social S-H-I-T. I care about who's going to bring down the prices of things. And I think that's going to be the head to head.
You saw him today. He's going to kick off a tour talking about corruption. He's going to kick off a tour going across Texas and bringing this in. He's much different than Beto O'Rourke. He's different in the way that he delivers this stuff. He's different in the way that he's accepting in of Republicans and other folks in the party. And I think that's what really makes him different.
TAPPER: It's interesting also to contrast him with the guy who's probably going to be the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, Graham Platner, who is, for want of a better term, angry, feisty, warrior and a veteran.
Also, Talarico has a much different approach. He's a -- he's a Christian. He talks about theology. He's a much more mild mannered.
What do you see? What do you think about these two different Democrats? HEYE: Look, it shows -- it shows the strength of the party. Platner
obviously came from nowhere to, to really garner all this attention. And the newest poll has him leading Susan Collins by, I think nine or -- nine or 10 points. It's a very different candidate. He's going to face a barrage of attack ads, no doubt about it.
But one of the challenges of having Paxton win over Cornyn is a lot of money is now going to be spent on television in Texas. That might have been better spent for Republicans in North Carolina, in Maine, Ohio and so forth.
ROCHA: I think that its easy to see that Paxton may be the most corrupt politician in the history of Texas. He was impeached by his own party. There's going to be a lot of mudslinging on each side, but ironically enough, I don't think it's going to come from James Talarico. He's really out meeting people.
He talked about this yesterday. There's a lot of people who come up to him and his selfie line and talk. Tell him, I'm a Republican, kind of like they're in the witness protection program. Like they don't want folks to know. I think that cuts across more than all of this -- culture war versus whatever this other thing can be.
TAPPER: What do you think about the midterms? What do you think that it's going to be -- I mean, obviously, it's May, so who knows what's going to happen. But if things continue as they are now with high prices, affordability, high gas prices, Trump's popularity in the in the 30s -- are Democrats, without question going to have a good night?
HEYE: I think they definitely take back the House, but they should learn the lesson that Republicans learned the hard way in 2022. You had Ted Cruz and Kevin McCarthy and so forth, promising a red wave a year in advance. And then the red wave wasn't big enough. It had to be a red tsunami.
And the reality is we had a good election night, but because we over- promised and under-delivered Democrats got to throw the victory party. And so as I see Democrats now starting to talk about waves, I would caution them, learn the lessons that Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz learned.
TAPPER: Do you think the Senate is actually in play for Democrats? I mean, they really have to run the table. Not only Texas and North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Alaska. I mean, a lot -- a lot would have to happen.
ROCHA: Beto O'Rourke lost the race in Texas by just three points against Ted Cruz. I looked this up today, Jake. Gas on the day that he lost in Texas was $2.10 a gallon. Today, its $4.10 a gallon. Folks like to drive big trucks in Texas. I think that's the difference in lots of states around the country.
TAPPER: Ken Paxton's success does give Republicans hope that the president might wade into the Republican runoff in Georgia, which has pitted Derek Dooley against Congressman Mike Collins. Do you think that Trump is going to insert himself? Obviously, Mike Collins has been a big MAGA guy, for better or for worse.
HEYE: Donald Trump has inserted himself in Georgia politics enough. It's cost three Senate races. You know, we remember Herschel Walker and we don't remember his campaign fondly. I think the best thing for the president to do would be to stay out of this. But that's not what -- that's not how he operates.
TAPPER: He just guaranteed he's going to get involved. That's exactly what's going to happen. Thanks to both of you. Really appreciate it.
The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing black coaches to move forward with their lawsuit against the NFL.
[18:50:00]
Former NFL wide receiver Donte Stallworth is here to react to that story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: Back in our sports lead a lawsuit against the NFL can be taken to trial. It involves accusations of systemic racism. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and other coaches to sue the NFL for allegedly discriminating against Black coaches.
I want to bring in CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig and former NFL wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who's here with me in studio.
Elie, first of all, walk us through the legal basis of the ruling.
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah, Jake, when Brian Flores and other coaches first sued the NFL alleging racial discrimination back in 2022, the NFL's response was great, but you don't get to go to actual court. You have to arbitrate. If you look at the NFL's rules and the NFL's constitution, the NFL argued. It said that's how you have to dispose of these cases.
Now, the problem is the NFL's constitution actually doesn't give any rules or procedures for how the arbitration works. And the person who presides over the arbitration is, guess who, the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell.
Now, a federal court of appeals looked at and said, that is simply unfair. They said it is arbitration in name only. Therefore, Brian Flores and the other coaches get to bring their cases in real federal district court.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court said we're not taking the case. Eight justices said we're not touching it. And so the court of appeals ruling, that's the final word. And so the bottom line is now, Brian Flores and these other coaches get to bring their cases in a real federal district court.
TAPPER: And, Donte, it's not every day you get to see the NFL possibly taken to trial, let alone for discrimination. What's your reaction?
DONTE, STALLWORTH, FORMER NFL WIDE RECEIVER: Yeah, I think it's really interesting. Brian Flores brought this lawsuit against the NFL four years ago, and it's gotten up to this point now where the Supreme Court put pushed down that ruling. And I think with Brian and everything that he's done simply as a -- as a coach, I mean, he's obviously more than qualified to be a head coach. One of the things that I always think about is that he gave Miami in his last two seasons, he gave Miami their first back to back winning seasons. Since my first two years in the NFL, which was 100 years ago, it was 2002, 2003.
But I think Brian Flores really now is in a good position because he's doing a hell of a job in Minnesota. He's a defensive coordinator and has had top defenses there for the past couple of years. So from a coaching standpoint, you can't deny that the talent is there. But the Rooney rule was put into place to kind of mitigate some of these issues.
TAPPER: Let me just interrupt for one second just to explain the NFL's Rooney rule. It's a diversity committee adopted the Rooney rule in 2003. The NFL says, quote, the committee's initial focus was on the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. The policy originally required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one or more minority candidates before making a new hire.
So it was only about interviewing, but now, the requirement is to interview at least two people of color and or a woman. But as of now, only three NFL head coaches are black. So I'm sorry to interrupt, but just I want to explain the rule to people.
STALLWORTH: Yeah. And I think since the -- since the Rooney rule was implemented in 2003, I believe it was the NFL has made some amendments to that. But if these interviews just become kind of token checking the box interviews and it really undermines the spirit of what the Rooney rule was initially about.
TAPPER: And, Elie, does Brian Flores record and success in coaching have an effect in the legal case here? You heard Donte's argument that that Flores -- like is more than qualified and brought the Dolphins to two winning seasons for the first time since 100 years ago, when he was in the league.
HONIG: Yeah, absolutely. So, Donte is correct, first of all, that one of the allegations here is that the Rooney rule is just in name only and doesn't actually get observed in any meaningful way. And yes, what the court will do is they will look at all the facts, the record that Brian Flores put up as head coach, the performance of his teams and make a decision of was he treated differently and worse because of his race?
And I should mention that two other black NFL coaches have since joined this case, along with Brian Flores. And so, they're making similar allegations as well. TAPPER: Donte, when you talk with people still in the NFL or people
who have left the NFL like you, do they still -- do they talk about systemic racism in the coaching?
STALLWORTH: Yeah. And it's not just black coaches or people in the front office that are black. I've talked to a number of people over the past six years, and I've had general managers who, who are now general managers, guys that I played under or played for that are -- that are telling me this is an issue that the NFL absolutely needs to take care of.
TAPPER: And, Elie, going forward with this case, what risks does the NFL have now?
HONIG: So, now, the NFL has to face something that I promise you they're afraid of, which is discovery. That is the mandatory exchange of information that happens in federal court, but not in arbitration. And so that means that the parties will get to take sworn under oath depositions of the key people on the other side. That could include depositions of league officials, of team owners of GMs and decision makers. And that means an exchange of internal emails and texts and memos. It is very revealing. It's always a risk for any large corporation to get to this phase of discovery. And that's where this is going next.
If they get past that, when they get past that, then, of course, there's the risk of trial as well. And if it goes to trial, then this will be in the hands of a jury and heaven knows what kind of verdict they might come back with if they find the NFL liable.
TAPPER: So the NFL, to be perfectly frank, is about money. I mean, that's what Goodell is about. That's what the coaches are about. That's what the general managers -- well, the coaches are about winning. But that's -- that's what it's focused on.
You think you're 100 years old. I'm 200 years old. And I remember when people would that when there were no Black quarterbacks because people thought, oh, they just don't have the -- and there was just a different way that color commentators would talk about black players, natural skill versus white players. Oh, so smart, so strategic.
Obviously, that's a thing of the past. Black quarterbacks are thriving. Just look at my good friend Jalen Hurts who I've never met. But is it the same problem, do you think that people just like -- there's just some racist legacy as to why people are not hiring the coaches?
STALLWORTH: Yeah. Whether if it's a racist legacy or unconscious bias, I think it's definitely there. And that's a great point, Jake. I never thought about it from that matter.
TAPPER: All right. Donte Stallworth, Elie Honig, thanks so much.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
