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Iran Claims it Downed Fighter Jet; Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D- VA) is Interviewed about Iran and Bondi; U.S. Economy Added Jobs in March; Orion Crew Capsule; Artemis II Heads Toward Moon; Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is Interviewed about Bondi. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired April 03, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Really pleased with you this morning because they are -- they are using gravity, not defying it, right?

ADAM FRANK, PROFESSOR OF ASTROPHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER: Right.

SIDNER: Adam Frank, you are wonderful. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, some breaking news, a big bounce in the job market. March, way better than expected. February, worse. The question now, what will the war do to the economy?

And what's happening in the airports this morning? A big holiday weekend with seven percent of TSA workers still calling in sick, though they have started getting paid again.

And backyard thunderdome. Pug versus raccoon. Two will enter. One will leave.

I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the breaking news this morning in the war with Iran. New comments posted from President Trump just a short time ago. I'll read it to you. The president says, "with a little more time, we can easily open the Hormuz Strait, take the oil and make a fortune. It would be a gusher for the world," he asks as a question.

The real question is, what does he mean by a little more time? And is this a reversal of what he said really just two days ago in his address to the nation, when he essentially told U.S. allies very clearly that the Strait of Hormuz was their problem and he had no interest in it.

Also this morning, Iran is claiming that its forces downed a U.S. military fighter jet in central Iran. State media released a series of photos, they say, of supposed proof. CNN's Jim Sciutto is live this morning in Tel Aviv to start us off

this hour.

Jim, what's the very latest you're hearing about this?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, Kate, I want to begin again, as I began last hour, by saying we need to be very careful with this. Iranian state media, as you noted, is reporting that Iran has downed a U.S. military jet over Iran. The U.S. military has not yet commented on this or confirmed it, though multiple folks from CNN have now reached out to Central Command asking that exact question.

What we do know is that images are emerging online of wreckage from what appears to be a U.S. military aircraft. One particular piece of that wreckage appears to be part of a tail section, vertical stabilizer, of what would be consistent with an F-15 fighter jet. Now, that is a jet that has two pilots. You may remember that three F-15s were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait in the early days of this war. So, once again, Iran is claiming this. There are a number of images online that show wreckage on the ground, and you have Iranian state TV broadcasting images of those -- of that wreckage. But again, we're seeking comment or confirmation from the U.S. military and the U.S. military to date is not yet doing so.

BOLDUAN: Jim, thank you so much for your reporting. Really appreciate it.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia.

Congressman, just to reiterate what Jim Sciutto was just saying there, Iran is claiming they shot down a U.S. fighter jet. We just don't have confirmation of that at this moment. We've asked the military. We don't have it yet. What's your reaction to this possibility at this point this morning?

REP. SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM (D-VA): I think this is going to continue to happen as long as we're there. There's going to continue to be casualties and planes shot down. And if we see a situation where our ground troops go in, the casualties will only get higher as this war goes on.

BERMAN: The president, in a post this morning, suggested that the United States, if it stays longer, can open the Strait of Hormuz. What do you understand his mission is now with the Strait? Because a few days ago he was saying the United States didn't need to be involved in opening the Strait.

SUBRAMANYAM: Well, let's take a step back, right. The whole point of this war, the reason he started this, was to end their nuclear program, decimate their navy, you know, take out their ballistic missile program, right. Those are the three goals that he put forward. But what he's done by doing this has created new problems. An economic

problem with the Strait of Hormuz. And we're not even talking much right now about it, but the Houthis could also start controlling the Red Sea, too. That's another economic problem for the entire world, including the United States.

I don't know how you take the Strait of Hormuz and control it, truly, unless you send in ground troops. It is very difficult to do that because Iran's shore over there, they're just, you know, sending missiles in, right, from trucks on the mountains.

[09:05:07]

They can do anything they want to disrupt. And all they need to do is disrupt in order to deter shipping from going through there.

So, this is going to be an incredibly complicated mission. It's going to be incredibly long. And once you take the Strait of Hormuz, keeping it also requires a lot of time. So, him saying it's going to take a little bit of time is really misleading.

BERMAN: Shifting gears now. Attorney General Pam Bondi will soon be former attorney general. President Trump has fired her. You're on the House Oversight Committee. Do you still hope to get her to testify before you, to sit for a deposition?

SUBRAMANYAM: I expect Pam Bondi to come before us. It doesn't matter if she's attorney general at that point. She must come before us and answer questions in a deposition style, because we saw what she did in front of the Judiciary Committee and how combative she was. And so, we want her in a deposition style interview. And we're going to ask her questions about the Epstein files and the entire cover up. And moving forward, we have real concerns about Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general as well, and he is no better in my mind than Pam Bondi because he's been in charge of the entire Epstein saga from the beginning.

BERMAN: I was going to ask you, Todd Blanche, who is stepping in as acting attorney general, what are your expectations about how he will behave, particularly because, you know, he may want the job full time? So, what do you expect from him?

SUBRAMANYAM: Well, Todd Blanche, remember, is the president's former personal attorney. And since becoming the deputy A.G., and now acting A.G., he has acted like the president's personal attorney. And I think he would be worse than Pam Bondi, if you could imagine that. I think he will continue what the president is trying to do with the Department of Justice, which is to weaponize it in a political way against political opponents, even when there's no cause to do so. He's going to continue to cover up for the president and his friends and continue the corruption that's been in this administration.

BERMAN: CNN has a brand new poll out this morning. We've been releasing some of the numbers over the last few days. And the numbers this morning look at the popularities of the various parties, the generic congressional ballot test, Democrats are favored by six points. But when you talk about the popularity, the favorability of the parties, you know which party is less favorable than the Republican Party, which is pretty unfavorable right now? The Democratic Party, right? Republicans have a 32 percent favorable, Democrats, 28 percent. Why so low, Congressman?

SUBRAMANYAM: It's actually a lot of Democrats being mad at the Democratic Party right now. And sometimes I don't blame them. They are concerned about the party's ability to fight back against the Trump administration. They're concerned about the structure of the party and the long term outlook of the party and whether we will fight back when the -- when the Republicans break norms, for instance.

So, I think many of us have taken that as a call to action to try to combine and rally people, unite people around this idea that we need to be a good alternative to President Trump and the Republican Party.

BERMAN: Congressman Suhas Subramantam, from Virginia, we do appreciate your time this morning on a range of subjects. Thank you.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, breaking this morning, the job market bouncing back in a big way. Employers adding 178,000 jobs in March, which far beat expectations. It is worth noting that the numbers were collected before the surge in oil prices from the war with Iran.

But joining us now, Matt Egan, with these numbers.

That's huge for what we've been seeing.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, look, Sara, this looks like a pretty solid report. A lot stronger than expected. Job growth went way up. Unemployment went way down. That's exactly what you want to see. But one thing to note here is the timing, which you were just alluding to, right? This is really a snapshot of how the economy looked in early to mid-March, before $4 gas, before $110 oil, before the full impact of a war that could ultimately hurt the economy.

But look, with those caveats in mind, we just learned that the U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March. That's roughly triple the forecast for 60,000. The unemployment rate was expected to stay at 4.4 percent. There were some whispers of 4.5. That -- neither of those things happened. It actually went down to 4.3 percent. That is a positive.

We also learned that February, though, was actually worse than previously reported. February was revised down to negative 133,000. And when you look at the trend for job growth for the last year or so, you can see, it's been a really bumpy ride, right?

SIDNER: Roller coaster.

EGAN: We've had months of job loss, months of job gains.

I just got off the phone with RSM chief economist Joe Bruce Willis, and he said he thinks that a lot of these swings have to do with some statistical changes made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics when they're trying to measure how many jobs are at companies that have gone out of business, and companies that have launched as well. And so that's why they like to look at the three-month average.

But the three-month average was actually pretty solid at 78,000 jobs added over the last -- I'm sorry, 68,000 jobs over the last three months.

[09:10:03]

And so that's why the unemployment rate did come down. That was enough to meet demand and supply for workers. This is a look at the unemployment rate. Again, it's ticking lower.

And when we look at some of the sectors here, one of the biggest factors was health care. Health care adding 76,000 jobs in March alone. Now, that reflects, in part, the return of roughly 30,000 Kaiser health care workers who had been on strike. Those workers were removed from the February jobs report, and they've been added back because they're back at work. But it's not just about that.

SIDNER: So, wait, those weren't new jobs.

EGAN: Not new jobs.

SIDNER: Those were jobs sort of on hold because people were on strike.

EGAN: Exactly. Exactly.

SIDNER: OK.

EGAN: But because they're no longer on strike, they are counted in this report.

SIDNER: OK.

EGAN: So, that's one factor. But it's not just that. It's also warmer weather. Construction had lost jobs in February, gained jobs in March. Leisure and hospitality also gaining a lot of jobs. Also weather sensitive. Manufacturing added 15,000. However, some sectors lost jobs. Look at finance, 15,000. That sector has been losing jobs almost consistently for the last six to nine months or so. So, that's something to watch carefully.

SIDNER: Can that be blamed on A.I.?

EGAN: It could be. I mean A.I. is a factor in some of these white collar jobs, including finance. It's too early to say for sure. The federal government, though, also lost jobs, 18,000.

So now I think, Sara, the question is, how does this war, this energy price shock, impact the economy? It's easy to see how some sectors, like leisure and hospitality, could end up losing jobs because of high energy prices. Other sectors may gain jobs. But I think the good news is that, at least in early March, the job market, it looked pretty solid.

SIDNER: All right, it does look good news on this Good Friday, for at least the numbers there.

EGAN: Yes.

SIDNER: They're a lot bigger than what was being expected by economists.

EGAN: Yes.

SIDNER: All right, Matt Egan, thank you so much.

EGAN: Thank you, Sara.

SIDNER: Kate.

BOLDUAN: So, spring break travel is now in full swing. How is TSA handling it this time as workers are starting to get paid once again but call-outs are still happening and building.

And NASA's moon mission just reached a major milestone in their journey. The critical move overnight that launched them out of earth's orbit. And we are hearing from the astronauts themselves for the first time in interviews since the liftoff.

And the story behind the state troopers, look at that, rescuing a bear cub in a roadside ditch.

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[09:16:56]

SIDNER: It's happening. The Artemis II Orion spacecraft now blazing its way toward the moon. The four astronauts who are aboard Orion are the first to head into deep space in half a century. We are now going to go to CNN's Tom Foreman, who has more on this historic space odyssey.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is life like for the Orion crew right now? Well, I can tell you, it is busy and it's really interesting.

Let's get rid of the service module for a moment here, although it will stay with the crew capsule for almost the entire mission. I just want to talk about the crew capsule now, though, and give you a sense of what they're dealing with.

First of all, this is a big capsule, 23,000 pounds at liftoff. More than 11 feet tall, 16 feet wide. So, that's big. And the interior is bigger than anything NASA has put up into space since the space shuttle.

But this is all a relative thing. If you were to come inside here, you would say, well, they have a lot to get in here too. All four people have to live here. They have to have places to be strapped in or sit. They have communications equipment. They have control equipment. They have emergency supplies, medical supplies, food, water, waste facilities, exercise equipment, even some things for entertainment. So, yes, it's a lot to get into this space, as spacious as it is.

If you look at this NASA video, you can get a sense of what it would really be like inside. Although I should point out, you're not stuck to one space. Remember, in microgravity, they can use all this space to do what they want to do.

Still, it's four people in this space for ten days. That's not a whole lot of room. And they have to all work in concert to make it work properly. And interestingly enough, that includes sleeping at the same time. Yes, that's right. At the same time they will all strap in for the night, close their eyes and they will sleep and dream as they drift through the cosmos from the earth, all the way up to this historic return to the moon.

SIDNER: Foreman makes it sound so easy.

CNN's Randi Kaye is at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

He was talking about sleeping and enjoying it as they go towards the moon. And it turns out, they are sleeping right now because one has to get some sleep in space apparently.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are.

SIDNER: Randi, what are you learning this morning?

KAYE: Well, they went to bed about 4:00 a.m., Sara, and they're going to be awakened about 12:30 today to get to work. And then at 6:30 they're going to do another one of those burns. This is an OTC one burn. This is just to sort of fine tune their path to the moon, which they are on. And then at 11 p.m. today, they're going to basically rearrange the deck chairs. It's a -- it's a lunar flyby cabin configuration where they take it out of launch mode, which they've been in, and they rearrange it for when they do the lunar flyby on day six.

But, of course, the big success is this translunar injection burn that they did yesterday. That was a six-minute burn. And it just basically pumps up their velocity. And it -- it's a propulsion maneuver, and it really set them on the path to the moon.

[09:20:03]

It also changes the orbit, Sara, from circular, when they were going around the earth, to elliptical. And then that will set them on the path for that figure eight that will eventually bring them back to earth.

But Reid Wiseman, the commander, had said that, you know, I think it's all setting , in for him that they're going to the moon. And he said that this is a herculean effort. And he said, this is -- there is nothing normal about this.

He also talked about being able to see the full globe and seeing a view from pole to pole, and how spectacular it was. And then, of course, on day six is the lunar flyby. And that is when they will have this amazing view, they hope, of the far side of the moon, never before seen by human eyes. They hope to see craters and slopes that have never before been seen. And the lighting should be just right for that, NASA says. And they also, a little bonus here, will see an eclipse while they're doing that on day six, Sara.

SIDNER: Awe, OK, I did not know that. That is so cool. I love an eclipse. I love to see one on earth. So, it must be an incredible vision in space.

KAYE: Yes.

SIDNER: Randi Kaye, I got to tell you, I'm jealous. You're over there. You're in there watching all this happen at Johnson Space Center. I might -- I may show up. Come there. Come pet your dogs. Come hang out with the goldens and hang out with Randi.

KAYE: Come on down.

SIDNER: It would be a great day.

All right, thank you, Randi.

All right, coming up, a growing number of voters say both parties in Congress stink. How these double haters could actually have a big impact on the midterms.

And a full on battle for a Georgia couple who fought off a raccoon attacking their pet pug. That story and more ahead. Who won?

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[09:26:13]

BOLDUAN: Pam Bondi is out. The attorney general now fired by the president, making her term the shortest tenure for a confirmed attorney general in 60 years. The reason behind the ousting, all the reporting seems to suggest, that it is because Donald Trump did not think that she had done enough to go after his political opponents, and over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. She faced a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee and was set to appear before lawmakers for a deposition about the Epstein files in two weeks.

The person who had led that subpoena push, joining us now, Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Thank you for being here.

REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Thank you very much.

BOLDUAN: Now, a committee spokesperson, Congresswoman, had told CNN just last night that the chairman -- the plan after the news was that the chairman was going to speak with members about the status of the deposition subpoena and confer on next steps. Have you talked to the chairman yet about those next steps? MACE: I have not yet, but I made my point very clear yesterday when I

issued the subpoena that was voted on by the Oversight Committee a number of weeks ago. We did it by name and not by the title of the attorney general. So, she's still compelled and required by law to come before the Oversight Committee. And at this juncture, I'm not backing away from that or backing down from that.

I do believe the handling of the Epstein files was done in a very poor manner by her and her office. And there are still questions that she has answers to that are very serious and has information, I believe, that will be important to the committee. So, I'm moving forward if I can still have the majority of support from the committee. It won't be just me. I have to have the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to move forward if the chairman wants to try to quash it.

BOLDUAN: So, there is a step that might need to be taken if the chairman wants to go a different direction than what has already happened? Then you will need support from Republican --

MACE: I suppose --

BOLDUAN: Your Republican colleagues or -- and Democratic colleagues to try to keep -- make sure she comes in?

MACE: Yes. And, you know, that will be -- I'm assuming if that's the overture right now, that I'll have a little bit of work to do behind the scenes to make sure that I have any votes, if it's going to come up for a vote, or how we move forward.

I'm pushing to have her. You know, she's made a lot of statements about the files. I have questions about those statements. I have questions about why not all of the files have been released. I think there's a messaging issue as well. And the lack of communication. And, quite frankly, the DOJ has mocked members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike.

I'm concerned about Todd Blanche because, you know, he's mocked and gone after members of Congress who have had questions about the Epstein files. And I think it's very important that the next attorney general, that we show that there is not a two-tiered system of justice. That if you're rich and powerful and politically connected, regardless if you broke the law, our country's going to go after you, that you will be arrested, you will be investigated, there will be a trial. That's really important to me to restore trust in the institution.

BOLDUAN: You say that there's no question that this is -- the subpoena stands for Pam Bondi.

MACE: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Do you have any inkling or suggestion that she -- if it stands, she will fight it at this point?

MACE: I don't at this point. I mean the rumor was she didn't want to come in for it previous to this, which is why she did the briefing pretty much immediately. And we were only given 24 hours' notice for that briefing.

I'm -- again, I'm sticking to my guns, as I always do, as I always have, because, for me, this is not -- this is not political, this is personal. I have met with these victims. I have been through some -- many of the files at the DOJ. And, you know, I have many questions that I feel she can answer, and others at the DOJ. And there are folks that we're going to be bringing in to depose that I -- they're going to be very important.

[09:30:00]

I put out names. I know Chairman Comer has put out a list of people that are going to be coming in. This isn't going away. And I applaud members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that are with.