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Iran Says It Seized Two Ships In The Strait Of Hormuz; Axios: Trump Says DeSantis "Begging" For Top Admin Job; FBI Opens Probe After 10 Scientists Die Or Disappear In Recent Years. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired April 22, 2026 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:31:23]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, our breaking news this morning. Iran's revolutionary guard says it has seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and taken them back to Iranian waters.

The war and essential closure of strait has led to the worst oil crisis in history. Airlines in Europe are saying they're about to run out of jet fuel and Asia is starting to run out of supplies. That could become a problem for the United States. About half of the stuff Americans buy, of course, comes from Asia. And the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains closed the more red flags are waving that prices here at home could go up again.

CNN's David Goldman is joining me now. I mean, prices are already up.

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah.

SIDNER: So what are we looking at here because we've -- time is of the essence, correct?

GOLDMAN: It sure is. I mean, we've been talking about gas prices is the big consumer impact in the United States.

SIDNER: Yeah.

GOLDMAN: That's for good reason, right? Prices already went up to $4.00. That's painful. It was painful immediately and it was painful broadly.

But in Asia it is so much worse. They're rationing fuel there. They have a plastic bag problem in South Korea where people are hoarding them because they can't get them. And most importantly, in Japan, there are medical supply shortages in some hospitals.

So for everything that we're experiencing in the United States it's worse in Asia. And because of the problem -- because they rely so heavily on the Middle East for all of their supplies it could get so much worse here because as you said, they make half of the stuff that we buy. So if factories can't get aluminum or plastic, they can't make the things that we buy in the United States and that's when we start thinking about shortages.

It's not a problem right now --

SIDNER: Yeah.

GOLDMAN: -- but it could become a problem not only because of this -- because factories don't have the supplies, but also because workers might not be able to even get to work if they can't get the fuel.

By the end of the month, right, 700 million barrels of oil could have evaporated from the world because the Strait of Hormuz is closed. That's according to Keplr. That's a huge amount of oil.

So if you have to start rationing fuel, how do you even fill up your car or your scooter, or whatever it is that you're using to get to work to make the stuff that Americans buy?

And we're already starting to see some of the impacts. There was a condom maker -- kids, close your ears. There was a condom maker that had said that 20 percent or 30 percent even price increases are coming down the pike because they can't get the ammonia, they can't get the silicon oil that they need to make their products. And so if that's happening already imagine what else could be coming down the road.

SIDNER: I'm sorry, but that was not on my bingo card.

GOLDMAN: Yeah, sorry. I kind of threw that one at you.

SIDNER: You did.

GOLDMAN: Yeah.

SIDNER: You threw it at me and I thought don't laugh -- inappropriate. Uh, but David, thank you for bringing us that this morning. I do appreciate it.

GOLDMAN: Any time. We're having fun this morning.

SIDNER: Very interesting. All right, Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: You can laugh and it is still important. All of these things can be true at once, everyone. Goldman, though, coming --

SIDNER: It's --

BOLDUAN: I was also a little bit surprised.

Here we go. Joining me right now -- don't worry, Sabrina, we're not going to start on that -- CNN political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh.

Let's start where they began, which is this latest that we're hearing overnight of what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz. The president extends the ceasefire indefinitely if you will, but now the IRGC says this morning two vessels were seized in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred to Iranian waters. And also after it -- we saw reports of two container ships had been hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz today -- rocket fire of some sort.

[07:35:10]

What does this mean -- if this is the reality now playing out in the Strait of Hormuz, what does this mean for the ceasefire and negotiations?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR, FORMER DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Well, what it means right now is the strait is still very much an active war zone. I think that is the question though of what does this mean for this indefinite ceasefire that the president announced yesterday? We have no clear timeline of when the ceasefire could potentially end.

But the actions that the IRGC took this morning and, of course, we're going to have to wait and see what this administration says. I'd particularly look to what the U.S. military says who has ships stationed all around that area. What are they assessing is the situation and does this put that indefinite ceasefire at risk?

I think one big takeaway from this though is that throughout the president's actions and the U.S. military's actions of dismantling Iran's military, this administration has not beaten the Iranians into submission, and some of the actions that we're seeing from the IRGC proves just that. They still maintain control of that strait and can inflict incredible damage on global markets all around the world.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. So the president, in extending the ceasefire, raised questions about who really is in charge and calling the shots in Iran -- something that CNN has reported out -- has had reporting on.

And Barak Ravid, this morning, of Axios, has a reporting in a quote from a U.S. official that says this. "We saw that there is an absolute fracture inside Iran between the negotiators and the military with neither side having access to the supreme leader, who is not responsive."

Which leads to -- it's almost like we're back to the beginning here, which is if you don't know the answer to this question of who really can make the call, how do you bring this war to an end?

SINGH: Well, I think this was sort of the problem that this administration has walked itself into on the regime change that they've claimed has happened. The reality is that you now have more hardliners at the table and less moderate voices. And I think there are fractures within the Iranian command and control of who is in charge. Who is making the decisions? We obviously have not seen the supreme leader since that strike on the complex that he was in at the beginning of this war.

So I think there is confusion on who can actually go to the negotiating table in Pakistan and deliver a potential deal or agree to a potential framework, and that's something that this administration is wrestling with but certainly internally. And I think what you're seeing from Iran internally right now is the

hardliners saying let's wait this out. Let's run down the clock and let's pushing -- let's keep pushing global markets onto their knees. Because they're seeing that that's working, particularly here at home as we're heading into the midterms and as you were laying out -- and Sara was laying out earlier global markets are responding.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. Look, if just surviving and taking on the world's largest military is a win then that's just running out the clock could be goal for the IRGC.

There's also this reporting that the U.S. military significantly depleted its stockpile of key missiles. According to a report, it has expended at least 45 percent of its stockpile precision strike missiles, at least half of the inventory of the THAAD missiles, and nearly 50 percent of the stockpile of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles.

You were deputy press secretary at the Pentagon.

SINGH: Yeah.

BOLDUAN: What does this and that mean for the military and for readiness?

SINGH: Well, I mean, the reporting was incredible that CNN was able to obtain. The levels are very concerning.

Already, you know, when we -- when we first started in the Biden administration supplying Ukraine with arms from our own stockpiles -- you know, we were dipping into some of our shelves and the services were very much aware of that. But now you have a long -- I mean, a very long war that we do not know when this ends and so those readiness stockpiles are very concerning.

And we're also pulling more capabilities from China, which we're kind of losing our eye on frankly, I think.

BOLDUAN: Sabrina, it's great to see you. Thanks so much for jumping on -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much, Kate.

There have been several high-profile departures from the Trump administration in recent weeks and we're now learning the president is saying the governor of Florida wants in. Axios reporting that President Trump has told allies that Ron DeSantis is "begging" for a job in the administration when his second term as Florida governor ends in January. He is reportedly interested in becoming attorney general or defense secretary.

Joining us now is the man with that reporting, senior political -- politics reporter for Axios, Marc Caputo. Give a sense of what you've learned, Marc.

[07:40:00] MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS (via Webex by Cisco): They had a lunch on April 12, the Sunday before last -- Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis did -- and the discussion of Ron DeSantis' future was on the menu.

DeSantis is termed out in January. He's served two terms -- or will have served full -- two full terms as Florida governor and in the words of one, he's looking for a job.

DeSantis and Trump have had sort of an on again-off again-on again relationship. DeSantis was sort of an understudy of his. Trump helped endorse him or endorsed him to help make him governor in 2018. Then they ran against each other. DeSantis ran against him. And now they've made up and they're pals again. Though a lot of people in Trump's orbit don't like Ron DeSantis -- some of them actually worked for him here in Florida -- the relationship between him and President Trump is pretty strong and Trump likes him.

Now, the likelihood of him becoming attorney general is relatively slim according to a number of people, but it's still a non-zero chance and we're going to have to see.

In addition to the secretary of war spot -- and incidentally, Pete Hegseth, from what I'm told is in no danger of going anywhere; it's just if he happens to leave -- there's also the slight possibility that if a Supreme Court post opens up the president might consider Ron DeSantis for that. In fact, he's made some calls to people and said hey, what do you think about this as an idea? So that is a dream job for DeSantis according to people who know his thinking and I wouldn't rule that out either.

SIDNER: And when you consider that, I mean, the political ramifications -- people are saying look, the court is not supposed to be political and then putting a Florida governor in that spot would be a remarkable move by the president.

Let's switch topics here to the war in Iran. You've got some reporting on Trump that is interesting. What are you learning about him and U.S. oil shipments?

CAPUTO: Well, the United -- are you talking about Jones Act waiver or are you talking about the plans for interdicting more vessels?

SIDNER: Yes, yes -- for extending the waiver.

CAPUTO: So the Jones Act is a 1920s law that essentially requires vessels to deliver goods between U.S. ports to be U.S. flagged. That is, you have to be on an American-flagged ship to go from, I don't know, Houston to New York or wherever. And the problem with that in the eyes, especially of libertarians, is that it reduces the efficiency of the shipment of goods and it therefore raises costs.

And on March 18, President Trump had waived the Jones Act to make it easier to ship goods and namely, oil between U.S. ports to help keep prices down. And so far, according to White House data, it's worked rather well. It's increased the availability of the fleet to ship oil by about 40 percent and that has helped, according to the White House, keep prices down.

Now Donald Trump is looking at that waiver -- that 60-day waiver he approved on March 18 -- and is thinking of extending it more once it expires in that period of time.

SIDNER: Which begs the question about how long this war is going to go on as we watch the prices rocket back up to 99 bucks.

CAPUTO: Oh, I think it's going to go on for a while.

SIDNER: You do?

CAPUTO: Yeah. I think it's (INAUDIBLE).

SIDNER: Marc Caputo, it's a pleasure. Thank you so much -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: There is a manhunt underway right now in Philadelphia. Police are looking for two suspects that they say robbed an armored truck and reportedly got away with nearly $2 million.

CNN affiliate KYW obtained an image from a nearby surveillance camera that appears to show -- I mean, look at that -- the suspects, masked and armed.

Let's get over to CNN's Danny Freeman who is in Philadelphia with the very latest on this. So what are you picking up, Danny?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kate. It was a really chaotic scene yesterday morning here in the northeast part of Philadelphia where that armored truck was sitting right in this area because they were making a cash delivery to this check-cashing place behind me. And just before 10:00 a.m. that's when police say those two armed men, as you saw, with assault rifles came and robbed that armored truck.

And I've got to say, Kate, this was in broad daylight. This is a very busy area of Philadelphia. Truly a brazen attack on that robbery truck -- excuse me, on that armored delivery truck. And as you noted, according to our affiliates WPVI and KYW, those thieves may have gotten away with as much as $1.8 million.

Now, the FBI responded to the scene and this whole area was closed off yesterday. But I want you to take a listen to just the intensity of the police chatter when they were announcing what was going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARMORED TRUCK ROBBERY DISPATCH AUDIO:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there any dye packs or trackers in the -- in the thing they took?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gunpoint robbery of a Brinks truck 7219 Torresdale. Looking for a bright blue Acura MDX tinted out. It has an upside-down 'V' on the front grill. Occupied by two to three black males wearing black masks. They're armed with automatic rifles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now Kate, according to WPVI and KYW, that getaway car actually was discovered not far from the scene, though the suspects and the cash -- they were not there.

But I want to draw your attention to one of the other things you heard on that radio. The police asking about dye packs or trackers. Listen, armored truck robberies are actually fairly rare. But last summer in Philadelphia we saw a bunch of them, including attempted robberies and successful robberies.

[07:45:05]

Just last month, Kate, the U.S. attorney here in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced a guilty plea for two attempted Brinks robbery trucks and also two successful ones. They were able to get that guilty plea because they were able to catch the suspects, likely because of some of those trackers.

All of this to say local and federal law enforcement -- they have had recent success of finding and charging folks who rob armored trucks -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: That is wild, Danny -- all right -- and dangerous. I mean, super scary it is still underway. Thank you so much. We're going to stick close to Danny Freeman on this one.

And for us, coincidence or something else? At least 10 scientists tied to sensitive research have either died or gone missing and now there is a new federal investigation into all of this.

And CNN is marking Earth Day from the tippity-top of the planet. A glimpse inside the Arctic Sea as ice levels have dropped to new and alarming lows.

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[07:50:12]

SIDNER: This morning the FBI now leading an investigation into the deaths of mysterious disappearances in recent years of at least 10 people, all of whom were connected to sensitive nuclear or aerospace research in the United States. They include a nuclear physicist, several who were connected to NASA's famed jet propulsion lab, and a retired Air Force major general who commanded research at an Air Force base that was once at the center of UFO research.

The cases vary widely in circumstance, and some involve unsolved homicides while others are missing persons cases with no signs of foul play and authorities have not established any links.

But Congress is now looking for answers. This week the House Oversight Committee requested a briefing from top administration officials. The committee's chairman has suggested a sinister connection while a Democrat on the panel is not yet convinced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): It does appear that there's a high possibility that something sinister is taking place here. It's very unlikely that this is a coincidence.

REP. JAMES WALKINSHAW (D-VA): The United States has thousands of nuclear scientists and nuclear experts -- a robust infrastructure. It's not the kind of nuclear program that potentially a foreign adversary could significantly impact by targeting 10 individuals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Joining me now is CNN senior law enforcement analyst and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. Thank you so much for being here, Andy.

I mean, look, what stands out to you here because this has now become a bit of a political football if you will?

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah, it sure has and with good reason. You know, I think it's important to say as police involved in each one of these cases have said from the beginning there is current -- there are currently no facts that directly link any of these cases. So what we have is kind of a series of really suspicious circumstances.

So, for instance, the fact that several of these people -- I think three or four of them -- are known to have just disappeared, and several in similar ways -- last seen, essentially, walking away from their homes or one of them was seen walking down the side of a highway near where she lived.

Of that group several walked away from their homes and their lives without things you would assume they would take, like their phones or medical devices, or wallets and money, and things like that. So, you know, these are things that people do often when they end their lives but none of these individuals have been discovered deceased or -- you know, or thought to be cases of suicide.

So it's just a very odd series of circumstances that are connecting people who are in similar industries, some of whom worked at the same federal and national laboratories. Some of whom were connected through other -- through other kind of business connections. So it's absolutely the sort of issue that the FBI should be looking into.

SIDNER: When the FBI takes on something like this these are cases that spanned, you know multiple states and, you know, different timings. How do you go about doing this with so many different variables here?

MCCABE: Yeah, it's really challenging but the FBI absolutely has the jurisdiction to do it because even though you're in a situation like this you're talking about missing persons cases and other homicide cases. Those are -- those are violations that are typically investigated by local police authorities, local sheriff's offices, and things like that. So in -- without FBI involvement you'd have 10 or 11 investigations going on in a completely isolated way, so you'd miss the opportunity to see if there were connections between them.

But the FBI, because they have jurisdiction to investigate criminal and potential national security threats at the national laboratories where many of these people worked, it falls right into their -- into their jurisdiction.

So what you would do from the FBI perspective is to essentially build an ad hoc task force. So you'd assign agents who worked at these laboratories or were assigned to the states or the cities in which these people died to start their own investigations into the circumstances of these deaths or disappearances, and you'd connect them all with like a headquarters element that's going to oversee all these different efforts.

So primarily, you want to collect the information that's coming out of those organic cases at the state and local level and ensure that someone is seeing everything. They have the best analysts in the world at the FBI to do things exactly like this so it could only help folks get to the bottom of some of these mysteries.

[07:55:07]

SIDNER: Yeah. I guess the point is that the FBI would be looking for if there is any connection in any of these cases and then go forward from there.

Andrew McCabe, thank you so much. It's a pleasure having you this morning -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: There's new video showing NYPD officers and state troopers pulling people trapped inside a burning car. The driver drove off the highway in Queens and crashed into a tree. Police say the driver then got out but the car was flipped on its side and three passengers were still stuck in there when it went up in flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Start climbing. Give me your hand. Lady, come on. Give me your hands. Guys -- trooper, come over here. Yes, you will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Oh my goodness.

Officers were able to pull all three passengers from the car. The passengers and the driver were taken to the hospital. After the NYPD investigated, they did arrest the driver, a 20-year-old man, and he is now facing charges including assault and endangering the welfare of a child. But can you believe -- the NYPD there? Thank God for them.

Another very close call having to do with fire. Ring camera video showing the moment an electric wheelchair goes up in flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Wheelchair exploding. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Wild.

A woman in Florida had just bought the chair secondhand. She was charging it with a non-manufactured charger, if you will, and noticed that the battery got hot. I think I also heard that she heard clicking so she took the chair outside. Fire crews say that her quick thinking likely prevented a very much more serious situation, injury, and likely saved her home.

And then there is this. A Lego set breaking records. The set inspired by the film "Project Hail Mary" now has a Guinness world record title for the highest altitude launch and retrieval for a Lego set. Using a high-altitude balloon system an aerospace agency that partners with Lego sent the model of the ship with miniature figures of Ryland Grace and Rocky the Alien, reaching nearly 115,000 feet above sea level. It spun in space for nearly eight hours and then was safely recovered in full.

I'm not entirely sure what I just said -- half of that -- but it sounds extremely impressive. Congrats to all.

SIDNER: It is. Can we just vote on -- in here because, you know, people have access to whether or not that's the best toy that was ever made, other than the Slinky?

BOLDUAN: I mean --

SIDNER: I feel like Legos are just --

BOLDUAN: Legos? Oh, Legos in general? Yes, absolutely -- 1,000 percent has saved me on many a family vacation.

SIDNER: Yeah, there you go. It keeps you occupied.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

SIDNER: And now they're in space. Thank you so much, Kate.

All right. Some former prominent supporters of President Trump disillusioned and angered by the Iran war and now speaking out against the president, and even questioning the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania as to whether that really happened.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY MANN, ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTERS: And what really frightens me and scares me and makes me angry is suddenly now I'm in on the conspiracy theory.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you want to really see something that's sad, take a look at what happened over --

(Gunshots)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Some liberals have long dabbled in conspiracy theories about the Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania --

MANN: The first thing that ran through my head is because we cannot believe this man ever that is was somehow fake.

O'SULLIVAN (voiceover): -- like these women I met at an anti-Trump protest outside the RNC a couple of days after Butler.

O'SULLIVAN: So you initially thought it was staged?

MANN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah -- as we all did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all did.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you still believe that?

MANN: Yes. We don't know. I'm not sure. It's not impossible but I couldn't help but wonder because we've been lied to over and over by this man. The way he came up and raised his fist and acted like it was nothing.

O'SULLIVAN (voiceover): Since the early days of the investigation the FBI has repeatedly pushed back on conspiracy theories about Trump's would-be assassin Thomas Crooks. Both justice departments under President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have found the same thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just to be clear, did Thomas Crooks act alone?

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: Yes. Based on the evidence that we have that is the conclusive finding of the matter.

O'SULLIVAN (voiceover): But over the last few weeks, as many are speaking out against the Iran war --

TIM DILLON, COMEDIAN: Just admit you staged it in Butler. It was the heat of the campaign. People do crazy things in campaigns.

O'SULLIVAN (voiceover): -- prominent people who supported Trump's re- election campaign, like comedian Tim Dillon, have started to express doubts about what happened in Butler that day. Trump survived but Corey Comperatore, who was standing in the crowd behind him died.

DILLON: Now, of course, a real person died and that's terrible. RIP. And they should say that in high stakes things like this -- stuff like that happens.

TUCKER CARLSON, CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Joe, thanks a lot for joining us.

O'SULLIVAN (voiceover): Butler conspiracy theories really started to pick up in the MAGA world after Joe Kent appeared on the Tucker Carlson show last month.