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Today: Trump Expected to Join Israel-Lebanon Talks at White House; Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) Discusses About Firing of Secretary of Navy; Source: Pentagon Briefed Lawmakers on Assessment that Strait of Hormuz could be Closed for 6 Months; Shooting Reported at Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge; Former Police Officer Arrested for Allegedly Planning Mass Shooting at New Orleans Festival; NYT: FBI Investigated Reporter Who Wrote About Patel's Girlfriend; Worst Spring Drought on Record Fuels Southeast Wildfires 3-3:30p ET

Aired April 23, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

AMANI AMBAY, OPERATION HOMEFRONT MILITARY CHILD OF THE YEAR, ARMY: ... that lie ahead of you and he was told this sentence minutes before they crossed the wire before going into battle on the field. And this has really stuck with me throughout my childhood and even now to really persevere and hold your chin high and approach problems with a strong heart.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Can I borrow that saying?

AMBAY: Of course.

KEILAR: I love it. Amani it's been such a pleasure talking to you. Congratulations on this honor.

AMBAY: Thank you.

KEILAR: And thank you ...

AMBAY: Thank you so much. And thank you especially to Operation Homefront for serving military and veteran families.

KEILAR: Yes really great work that they're doing and recognizing you, Amani Ambay. Thank you so much.

AMBAY: Thank you.

KEILAR: And a new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: No deal and no rush to get one. President Trump posting I have all the time in the world but Iran does not. Adding, time is not on their side.

Plus, high times for marijuana advocates. A major change in policy could open the door to more researched and relaxed restrictions on the drug.

And a power play, the rapid rise of A.I. putting new demands on the electric grid. Experts warning the strain could impact your power bill and the future of artificial intelligence. We're following these major developing stories and many more all

coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: Moments ago, President Trump saying he has all the time in the world to reach a peace deal with Iran, adding, quote, "I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position. I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn't. The clock is ticking." We also just learned he is expected to join ceasefire talks about to happen between Israel and Lebanon. Let's go now live to the White House with CNN's Kristen Holmes.

Kristen, what is the new reporting?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes Boris so we are learning that President Trump is going to have that second round of peace talks between Israel and Lebanon here at the White House. He's going to greet those leaders and he will participate in at least part of this meeting.

We also have heard that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in part of this meeting. This, of course, is coming as this tenuous 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon is about to expire. This was one of the core tenets behind trying to get Iran to the negotiating table so we'll see what comes of that. And before that we're actually going to see President Trump. He's doing an event for the most favored nation that's his lowering drug costs with Regeneron. They have -- going to be announcing a new deal.

And when he's up there in the Oval Office, there is quite a bit that we expect him to say or at least we're looking to see if he talks about. One of them is what you just mentioned, this indefinite ceasefire. Any updates on this. He's, of course, saying that he is under no pressure. But we were talking to U.S. officials behind the scenes who were saying that giving Iran this kind of indefinite period of time could cause problems, could lead the Iranians to not feel pressured to actually come to the table with any sort of deal.

And the other thing we're going to be watching for is if he talks about the Secretary of the Navy who, of course, was fired yesterday. One of the things that we've been reporting was kind of dramatic back and forth involving the Secretary John Phelan, Pete Hegseth who did the firing essentially asking him to resign or be fired. Phelan not really believing this was coming from President Trump. President Trump is the only one with the authority to actually fire him which led Phelan to being at the White House and asking President Trump point- blank if he was fired.

We now have roughly a day later a post from President Trump about Phelan. I want to read this to you in part. It says, "John Phelan is smart, tough and respected by all, and although he has decided to move on from his position as Secretary of the Navy," of Boris, we know he didn't really have a choice, "I very much appreciate the job that he has done and would certainly like to have him back within the Trump administration sometime in the future."

So, clearly, keeping the door open for Phelan there. One thing to note is while there was enormous amount of tension

between Phelan and Pete Hegseth, President Trump and Phelan actually had a pretty good relationship according to sources. Remember he had no real military background but he had been a donor, he and his wife had both been donors and bundlers for President Trump, so they had built a relationship on that. Again, clearly leaving the door open for Phelan here.

SANCHEZ: Kristen Holmes live for us on the North Lawn, thank you so much. Brianna?

KEILAR: We're joined now by Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton from Massachusetts. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee. He's also a combat veteran. Thank you so much for being with us.

And I first want to ask you about the Navy Secretary being fired last night. Obviously, the Navy is involved in a very important conflict right now. What is your reaction to this?

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): I mean just continued chaos at the top of the Pentagon and this is a story that has continued from the very first days that Hegseth took the job as the most incompetent Secretary of Defense in American history.

[15:05:00]

And what I hear from the brass when they come to visit Capitol Hill, is that they don't have the freedom to make decisions. They don't have the freedom to express their opinions. They don't have the freedom to just say what they really believe because every one of them is worried about getting fired for saying the wrong word. And that means that they're not serving the troops well.

KEILAR: And as the President is making these threats against Iranian mine boats talking about shooting and killing them the -- the Pentagon briefed lawmakers on House Armed Services Tuesday on an Intel assessment where it -- it says that it could take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of mines after the war with Iran ends which, obviously, it is not. Can you tell us more about the briefing? Is there more context to it than that?

MOULTON: No, I can't talk about the classified briefing. But I'll say this that President Trump is not only losing this war that he started he's losing the peace as well. I mean, it was just weeks ago that he demanded unconditional surrender from the Iranians -- unconditional surrender. And now, he's begging them to come back to the negotiating table so that he can work out some sort of deal to reopen the Strait. A strait that was open before he started this war.

And why does it matter? Because oil prices are going to continue to go up. Americans are going to continue to pay more at the pump as long as the Strait is closed. So, the Iranians to be honest have all the time in the world. You know, they are in control right now. They control the strait not the Americans. And that's why Trump needs to find a way to bring this negotiation to a close, so that they actually can reopen the strait and they can get to work demining or whatever else they need to do to ensure safe passage of these ships.

KEILAR: But even after, let's say, that this comes to an end, there is an agreement and nominally the Strait is open, should we as Americans be prepared to deal for months with all of the things that come with the Strait being essentially closed that the high gas prices, the high prices for other products when you consider that fertilizer so much of it is hung up there in the Strait, are we expecting months and months long hangover even once this is on paper resolved?

MOULTON: I don't think we've begun to see the economic effects of this closure. There is billions of dollars of damage to Gulf oil infrastructure that not only produces oil for export but liquefied gas some of which comes to America. And as you said, fertilizer that's important for the rest of the world. A lot of the ships that left before the war are just getting to ports now because it takes several weeks for these ships to transit the ocean.

That means that ships arriving today are still full, but soon we're going to see ships arrive empty. Ships that were supposed to go to the United States are already getting diverted to Asia, where there are shortages because it's a shorter transit time so those shortages have hit Asia sooner.

So, the economic disruption is going to continue for some time and we do not even have a timeline for the President as to when he's going to bring this war to a close because he does not have a plan. He never had a plan to fight the war. He clearly didn't anticipate that they would close the Strait. He actually sent the minesweepers that were in the Gulf over to Singapore just weeks before the war started. So, he's been waiting for them to come back and he clearly has no plan to secure the peace. So, this could go on for a very long time.

KEILAR: As he's saying there's no time pressure on this extended ceasefire. He's saying there's no time frame on when the war might come to an end. Do you see some utility in that when it comes to negotiations though that putting a time frame on it could give Iran some leverage?

MOULTON: I mean, maybe but the problem is that Iran already has more leverage than when they began this war and Trump is the one that can't take the pain of higher gas prices at home. That Trump is the one who after saying that the Strait doesn't matter is now doing everything in his power to threaten and bluster to get it back open.

So, it just seems like the tables have turned in their -- in Iran's favor right now and -- and that's why I keep emphasizing that the President has got to get to the negotiating table and stay there. And by the, way he should show up with professionals, people who actually have experience negotiating these deals.

When Obama negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal, it took 20 months. Twenty months to get to a deal that said that Iran would never produce a nuclear weapon. Now, maybe it wasn't the perfect deal. There are critics of that deal. But let's be clear, it had intrusive inspections to prevent Iran from ever producing a nuclear bomb.

[15:10:00]

Well, Trump tore that up. So, not only does he now have to reopen the Strait, which was never even an issue before he started this war. he's also trying to get a nuclear deal back on the table that says good or better than what Obama had achieved. So, he's got a long tough road ahead and that's why sadly I don't think we can expect an end to this conflict anytime soon.

KEILAR: Congressman Seth Moulton, thanks for joining us this afternoon. We appreciate it.

MOULTON: Good to see you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Still to come, a former police officer is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans. We'll talk about what we're learning about his history and his alleged plans.

Plus, The New York Times says the FBI began investigating one of its journalists after an article about director Kash Patel's girlfriend.

Then later, thousands of acres scorched as wildfires spread across South Georgia. We are on the scene. We have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:15:24]

SANCHEZ: We have breaking news into CNN, a possible shooting at the Mall of Louisiana. The governor of that state posting on X as we look at images of the scene from moments ago, quote, "I am aware of the active shooter scene at the Mall of Louisiana. I'm in coordination with law enforcement and we will update as we know more. Please avoid that area."

Jeff Landry writing: "Sharon and I are praying for those affected and are grateful for a quick response by our law enforcement officials."

We understand the ATF has also posted about this, confirming it is responding to the scene of a reported shooting at the mall in Baton Rouge. We've not yet heard about possible casualties at this point but we are going to stay on top of this story and bring you details as we get them, as you see emergency crews outside of the Mall of Louisiana. Brianna.

KEILAR: A former North Carolina police officer has been arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans. Christopher Gillum was taken into custody on Wednesday in Florida, a sheriff's office there saying more than 200 rounds of ammunition were found in his hotel room. CNN's Dianne Gallagher is following this story for us.

Dianne, tell us what you've learned here.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And look, Brianna,. that man who was arrested in that hotel room in Destin, Florida Wednesday night for allegedly threatening a mass shooting on a festival in Louisiana, he was a longtime police officer here in North Carolina. Forty-five-year-old Christopher Gillum served as a police officer, a detention officer and a sheriff's deputy at least three different agencies in -- here in North Carolina over the course of nearly two decades.

Now, the Okaloosa County Florida Sheriff's Office took him into custody at that hotel room on Wednesday night. They said that authorities had obtained information that Gillum planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans to conduct a mass shooting. They said that he was wanted in Orleans Parish by the Department of Public Safety for terroristic threats.

Now, according to a law enforcement source who viewed an Intel bulletin, Gillum's family actually told local police in Burlington, North Carolina that he'd expressed interest in harming black people. Now, there's not really a clear definition from law enforcement at this point on which festival he may have been allegedly targeting. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival or Jazz Fest does begin today. But Louisiana State Police would not confirm that that would have been the intended target, although the organizers have generally thanked law enforcement for everything that they do.

Louisiana State Police is working with the FBI though and said that at this time there are, quote, "no known credible threats" to festivals in Louisiana. The investigation remains ongoing and the credibility of any potential threats past or present is part of the investigative process.

Now, Okaloosa Sheriff's deputies said that they used the flock camera system to help track that Gillum was actually in the area. Of course, we've seen some other high-profile cases using that license plate reading in the past here -- across the country and in talking to law enforcement here in North Carolina. They basically said that he had kind of bounced from a few different agencies including in Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina and Carolina Beach. We've been unable to determine if he has an attorney at this time.

KEILAR: All right. Dianne, thank you for staying on top of that story. Boris.

SANCHEZ: The New York Times says the FBI began investigating a reporter who wrote an article about the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel. This probe is raising major concerns from the Times and First Amendment groups. CNN's Brian Stelter is covering this story for us.

Brian, what have you learned?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes. This is part of a pattern we've seen from the Trump administration, but also from other people who bristle at being scrutinized by reporters. Here's what we've seen over and over and over again, people trying to treat routine journalism like it's a criminal act, like it's some sort of crime to call you up, ask you questions, try to contact your friend, try to write a story about you. Because that's what The New York Times did in this case involving the FBI Director and his girlfriend.

Now, the article, it came out in February, it did have some unflattering details about the use of FBI resources to support Patel and his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. Patel and the FBI said it's necessary because of threats and other issues against Patel and Wilkins.

And after the story came out on February 28th, there apparently was a death threat made against Wilkins that required FBI follow-up. But after the FBI followed up, and interviewed Wilkins, they also started doing searches about the reporter Elizabeth Williamson. They put her name into some government databases.

[15:20:04]

And the Times only found out about this because a confidential source tipped off the Times because -- because of this was a highly unusual behavior by the FBI. So, just step back, think about it for a second, you have FBI agents investigating a reporter who was writing about the FBI Director. All right, it just -- it just -- it sounds bad when you even say it out loud and The New York Times today calling this alarming, calling this inappropriate and just plain wrong.

Now, the FBI says this was all due to the death threat investigation. They say the reporter herself was not targeted, but we've seen this kind of behavior in the past and that is why it is getting press freedom groups to raise the alarm today. So, it's part of this, you know, tendency to treat real normal journalism like it's somehow a criminal act. In this case, the FBI claiming it could have been like stalking.

Meanwhile, Patel -- well, he's been on the defensive in recent days that Atlantic story last Friday contained allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences. He denied the allegations. He is suing the Atlantic and he's been all over Fox News lately. I have to wonder if he's trying to impress his boss, President Trump, by being very visible in recent days and emphasizing the -- the performance of the FBI. But this latest article by The New York Times, another concerning example of what's going on inside the FBI these days.

SANCHEZ: Brian Stelter, thank you so much for the update on that story.

Still ahead, homes businesses and property burned as wildfires scorched parts of Georgia and North Florida. The latest from one of the hard-hit areas straight ahead.

And we are continuing to track a possible shooting at the Mall of Louisiana. The Baton Rouge mayor's office telling people to stay away from that area. We have more news after a quick break.

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[15:26:24]

KEILAR: The driest spring drought ever recorded is driving major wildfires in the southeast. Right now, at least 20 of them are burning across the region, including in Georgia and Florida. Florida is enduring its worst wildfire season in generations, mostly in the state's northern half. And the southern half of Georgia is so dry that for the first time ever its Forestry Commission mandated a burn ban specifically for 91 counties in its lower half. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is on the ground in Brantley County Georgia this is where wildfires forced evacuations.

And Derek, some folks -- I mean, they just had no time at all in order to get out.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Brianna, we talked to one resident. It was a very brave dad with his two children and they had in a matter of minutes they saw smoke and then the glowing embers in the distance and then all of a sudden a wall of flames were on their doorstep threatening their community and their home. So, it really is just like a scene out of a movie, the flames approached these communities. It spared some homes and then it completely destroyed others just like the indiscriminate nature of a tornado as it hops and skips along a community. We've noticed that across this badly damaged area.

But notice just to my left, there are homes that are still intact but over my right shoulder it's a completely different story. The scarred landscape of what used to be someone's home now reduced to two tables full of their earthly possessions, a very sad devastating loss for these families. Hopefully, they were, you know, able to evacuate and move out of this area. But it looks like they tried to retrieve their items after the fact. But what's really astounding here is that we're -- we're trying to gauge just how tall these trees are. We're guessing at least 40 to 50 feet and they are singed all the way to the top of these trees.

So, this area was largely on fire and this extreme and erratic fire behavior that's been driven by this exceptional drought that's covering over ninety 99.8 percent of the county that we are in here in southeastern portions of Georgia and some of the worst drought conditions in the state since 2012 with extreme drought conditions covering over 71 percent of Georgia.

So, we've got now winds picking up and that's not great news for the firefighters. The other thing that's concerning is that this thick vegetation that covers this portion of the state makes it that much more challenging for the first responders, the firefighters and the authorities that are on the ground battling this fire, because it's so difficult to access some of the hardest areas where the fire is still continues to burn. Right now, situated with the last report, roughly around 4,500 acres scorched. So far, a 15 percent containment.

But they don't expect that this fire will be fully contained for several weeks and that is just the nature of this drought that we're fighting that is fueling -- helping fuel the flames of the near 20 active large wildfires that are burning out of control across the southeastern U.S.

What's hard to translate across camera lenses, Brianna, is the smell. It smells like burning rubber. It smells like burning plastic and it gives you a headache. Back to you.

KEILAR: Yes, I've smelled that smell before. I know what you're talking about. It is putrid. It is hard for all of these fire crews ...

VAN DAM: Right.

KEILAR: ... certainly to deal with and for yours as well. Derek, thank you so much for the very latest there from Georgia.

President Trump issuing a new threat to Iran as tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz.

[15:30:04]

What it could mean for the conflict between the two nations.

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