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Trump Orders Navy to Shoot and Kill Mine-Laying Boats in Strait; FBI, ATF Responding to Shooting at the Mall of Louisiana, 10 Victims Taken to Hospital; DOJ Declassifies State-Licensed Marijuana as Less Dangerous Drug. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 23, 2026 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: ... Georgia.

President Trump issuing a new threat to Iran as tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz. What it could mean for the conflict between the two nations?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: President Trump is now ordering the Navy to shoot and kill all Iranian boats that are dropping mines as the stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz shows no signs of letting up. Today, the Defense Department announced it had boarded a sanctioned stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean that was carrying Iranian oil.

[15:35:00]

And as talks with Tehran stall, President Trump is increasing the pressure. A short time ago, he posted that he has all the time in the world, but Iran doesn't to strike a deal and that time is not on their side.

Retired Army Major General Randy Manor is with us. He served as the deputy commanding general of the U.S. Third Army in Kuwait. General, thanks for being with us. This Trump threat against the Iranian mine boats, what he is saying about time being on the side of the U.S. but not on Iran. How are you seeing his rhetoric in light of negotiations?

MAJ. GEN. RANDY MANNER (RET.), FORMER DEPUTY COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. 3RD ARMY IN KUWAIT: Well, actually, you've labeled it very properly. It's rhetoric. It's propaganda.

He tweeted that -- or excuse me, on Truth Social, he said that we control the Strait. The U.S. controls it. The reality is no, the U.S. does not control it. The Iranians do not control it. It requires literally a collaboration to be able to open this back up again.

So this never ending saber rattling is not the way to proceed into negotiations. It's interesting that the president recently said he could end the Vietnam War in one day. If he was president, then yet here he is. He's started a war, and still dragging on. Very unfortunate. KEILAR: In this threat against -- I mean, we have to be clear. The Iranian Navy does not or the Iranian government does not have a Navy in terms of a big bad Navy, right?

But there are these smaller boats that are quite effective. And that really demonstrates the asymmetry that the U.S. military has to confront. How do they do that?

MANNER: So actually, again, that is completely accurate. The idea of a large vessel 5,000 to 40,000 tons, those are all sunk.

The reality, however, is that they have many dozens, if not hundreds of very fast attack boats that they can either lay mines, they can board vessels, they can swarm different types of freighters and tankers in the area. They are a threat in the same way that drones and missiles are a threat. It is asymmetric, and it's something quite frankly, that the president said we sank everything.

But the reality is the Iranian military is still very potent and has the capability to cause harm in the Strait and in the region.

KEILAR: General, I'm so sorry to cut off our interview, but we have some breaking news out of Louisiana. Officials are speaking there at the Mall of Louisiana, where there has been an active shooter situation. Let's listen to them.

CHIEF TJ MORSE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: 1:22 this afternoon, we got reports of shots fired here at the mall in the courtyard, the food courtyard area. We had a massive law enforcement and medical response come. Thanks to all our responding agencies, everybody from the sheriff's office of St. George, State Police and even FBI, came to help to respond to this.

We got here very quickly, secured the scene. No more active shooting going on. We started treating victims until EMS got here.

EMS got here very quickly, were able to transport victims away from the scene within minutes. What we found out looking through surveillance videos, it looks like it was kind of a targeted -- two groups of people got into an argument inside the food court and started shooting at each other. Unfortunately, there were some innocent people that were in the area that might have also caught some rounds.

Right now, we have 10 victims at local area hospitals, some transported by EMS and some arriving by private vehicle. Definitely our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims involved in this with various level of injuries, and we're going to keep giving you all updates as we get there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many people in the shooting?

MORSE: Right now, we don't know. We have, you know, at least a couple of them that are in trauma going through surgery, so we don't have an exact number right now. We'll give you those numbers as soon as they become available. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Parking lot still full of vehicles. Are you still working to get customers people who are in the mall at the time out of the mall?

MORSE: Yes. So as we get some resources kind of freed up, we're still going through the mall, making sure we don't have people that locked down and hiding, make sure that they're safe and OK. And we're going to start trying to just evacuate the whole area.

We had a big, of course, big crime scene set up in case suspects weren't deep in the area. Looking in canals, we got helicopter drones, everything, all those kind of resources. So we had everything locked down, not wanting by to leave, but we're going to start opening that up as if we can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do know how style weapons were used? You know, (INAUDIBLE).

MORSE: Yes, we don't know right now. We're looking through all the surveillance video and climbing through crime scenes processing, looking at shell casings that were on the scene.

Anybody that has any help, please plead out to the community right now. If you know anything, please call crime stoppers. You can remain anonymous. 344 STOP. If you have any information that you can give us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You believe there's any threat to the public at all,

MORSE: Right now there is no known threat to the public. Right here is the safest place in Baton Rouge in this area.

But as we start developing suspects, we're going to run down every single lead that we can to get these people in custody. But it does not appear to be just a random act of violence, but a very targeted kind of disagreement between two groups of people.

[15:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many people in those two groups?

MORSE: Right now I don't want to kind of release that information because it's really preliminary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do we know the age ranges of the victims at all?

MORSE: No, not right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you say to the people out there watching, waking up, seeing this or looking at this during their lunch hour and just kind of worried about what might be going on with Baton Rouge?

MORSE: Yes. So first thing is keep these victims in your prayers, right? Second thing, just know that Baton Rouge Police Department and all these agencies out of here, EMS, Fire Department, everybody that responded. We're trained for this, right?

Unfortunately, it's one of the part of the jobs that we train regularly on responding to an active shooter scene like this, you know, hassle into all the law enforcement that came stable to everybody. EMS they got here and quickly transported the victims to get the care they needed at the local area hospitals and that we're going to control this -- Mayor.

SID EDWARDS, MAYOR-PRESIDENT OF BATON ROUGE AND EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH: Like you say, number one, you know, first and foremost, prayers for the victims and their families, you know, above all else. I want to thank our public safety officials, all the law enforcement people out here. This is proof of how good they are and the response they had and what they're doing.

And to the thugs who did this, we're going to catch you. OK, we're not going to have this in Baton Rouge. It's not going to happen.

And I have complete confidence in our law enforcement partners that we're going to get -- we're going to go out and grab these guys and get them off the street. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayor, if we may look, we just had a major domestic mass shooting in the Shreveport that made national news. Now we're looking at this people that are scared. What do you say to them today?

EDWARDS: Well, I think people at the end of the day have the right to be concerned, you know, about it. And sometimes the devil lives everywhere. And this is one of those situations.

No matter how much law enforcement you got or social programs or whatever, if someone gets in their mind that they're going to do something like this, they're going to do it. And that's sometimes all we can do is respond. I just want the public to know that we got the finest, whether it's medical, law enforcement, all our agencies are the finest in the country to respond to these things.

MORSE: Let me add one thing. Let me add one thing, please.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We've been listening to officials in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after reports of a shooting at a local mall there. We just heard from the CHIEF of Baton Rouge Police TJ Morris, saying that there is no more active threat in that area, that victims are being treated right now. Apparently, according to surveillance video from the scene, there were two groups at a food court that had some sort of dispute and they started shooting at each other.

Some innocent bystanders were apparently hit. Now around 10 people have been transported to local hospitals in different levels of -- in different states of emergency.

KEILAR: Yes, it was interesting that he was specifying this was not a random act of violence, that this was a very targeted disagreement between two groups of people. Let's bring in CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.

Suspects who are at this point at large, Juliette, as we are certainly thinking of the victims here, and this is early moments because there are a number of them, 10 victims to local hospitals, a couple of them going through some pretty significant surgeries.

What are you thinking as they're starting this investigation?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, they already have admitted that they have video surveillance. They know who they're looking for. This is the good news.

Look, the primary issue that the mayor was getting at, the police head was getting at, was, is this -- was this an active shooter situation that was random and now the suspect or suspects are just roaming the streets? I think they were right to make it clear to the public there is no specific ongoing threat, although you do have people or a person trying to hide from law enforcement. But they, you know, look, they know who it is.

They have the picture or they know, they know at least the relations of who this is, because they have video that shows this was clearly two groups. They didn't use the word gangs. We don't know if they're friends.

We don't know if this was, you know, two different schools or older and that they're going to be able to hopefully eventually catch them. But assuring the public that this is not random and that you don't have someone running around is the most important thing right now, as well as taking care of the victims who are either part of this or, of course, is, as the mayor said, innocent bystanders at a mall at, you know, in the afternoon on the Thursday.

SANCHEZ: Juliette Kayyem, thanks so much for that analysis. We're going to stay on top of this story and bring you new details as we get them.

10 victims rushed to the hospital after a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Stay with CNN. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: In an historic shift, the Justice Department is reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order this morning calling for medical cannabis to move into the same category as prescription medicines like ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.

SANCHEZ: The policy change would also make it easier to research the drug's potential benefits. CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid joins us now. Paula, what does this mean for marijuana on the legal front? PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, I've covered the Justice Department for over a decade and this has always been something that people ask about. This long-standing controversy about where marijuana is scheduled and the fact that medical marijuana was a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and ecstasy. So today with this announcement, the Acting Attorney General says that now medical marijuana is, as you said, alongside prescription drugs like ketamine or Tylenol with codeine.

[15:50:00]

This is also significant because it gives tax breaks to medical marijuana dealers and can make it a little bit easier to do research. I will also note that a lot of people have been asking if this applies to recreational marijuana and it does not.

So under federal law, if you possess or sell or manufacture recreational marijuana, that is still illegal. It's also interesting that this is being done today because the Acting Attorney General has been in this role for about two weeks now and we've seen him do a lot of things that we know he knows will please the President or his supporters because this is something the White House has really been pushing for. They've been pushed by certain lobbies.

So the fact that Blanche is doing this today it's another sign of how he is sort of auditioning for this job.

KEILAR: And how are lawmakers reacting to this move?

REID: I would describe the reaction as mixed. I mean, there are some concerns. Senator Tom Cotton on social media today saying, "Marijuana today is much more potent than just 10 or 20 years ago, leading to increased psychosis and antisocial behavior and fatal car crashes."

The people in his state "don't want more dangerous drugs obtained more easily. A change to marijuana's drug classification is a step in the wrong direction," he says.

Again, this has been going on since I first started covering Attorney General Eric Holder. Many administrations have been under pressure to do this reclassification. There's even some movement under the Biden administration, but there's also pushback. But here, the Trump administration taking this step.

KEILAR: Paula, thank you so much for joining us here in our virtual weed farm.

SANCHEZ: Or weed grove.

KEILAR: I just realized how weedy it is here in the studio. When you have walls, sometimes they get weedy.

SANCHEZ: Purely for research purposes.

KEILAR: Purely. We'll be right back.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Eva Longoria continues her journey across France, and this week she's discovering the rich history and influence of monks in the western region, and also getting a taste of a few delicacies, like frog legs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA LONGORIA, SEARCHING FOR FRANCE: What is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frog leg. From France.

LONGORIA (voice-over): Mark's father's recipe only uses the most tender part of the hind legs.

LONGORIA: Wow, I'm so excited. I've never had French frog legs.

But I had these growing up. My dad would make these all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, oh.

LONGORIA: But we would eat it like chicken, like off the leg.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good.

LONGORIA: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's also good fried.

LONGORIA (voice-over): Mark and I could clearly talk frog legs all day long, but there's a sauce to make.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, here we put a little bit of fish stock.

LONGORIA: It smells so good. Butter, garlic, wine. Can't go wrong.

LONGORIA (voice-over): Complicated reductions, multiple steps, this is the kind of cooking I associate with France. Oh, and have I mentioned the fish mousse? It's made with pike, eggs, and cream.

LONGORIA: Wow, that's a lot of cream.

LONGORIA (voice-over): Which is then piped into ramekins with the frog meat in the center.

LONGORIA: And then it goes in the oven?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then it's going in the oven.

LONGORIA: It's a shrimp with the creme fraiche and the egg. It's so good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: C'est tres bon.

LONGORIA: The truffle is so subtle and it goes well with the shrimp and the creme fraiche. It's like a perfect combination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FRENCH) Vraiment beaucoup.

LONGORIA: Always.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated text): And I try to create new ones. That's why he keeps coming back to see us.

LONGORIA (voice-over): A family favorite is the truffle-infused cheese.

LONGORIA: Oh, look at that. Look at these big chunks of truffle.

Vive la France!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vive la Bourgogne!

LONGORIA: Vive la Bourgogne!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: La magnifique.

KEILAR: Low cal, too.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Two brand-new episodes of "EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" air this Sunday night starting at 9 on CNN. You can stream them the next day on the CNN app.

Finally, we want to take a moment to highlight some up-and-coming talent here at CNN. We know you've seen Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju literally running through the Capitol, popping out of corners to question lawmakers. But have you met Sonia Raju, his equally intrepid 10-year-old daughter?

Today, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did just that during a Take Your Kids to Work Day at the Capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONYA RAJU, FUTURE CNN REPORTER: Why do voters do Democrats so poorly?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Did your dad give you that question? It's a great question in that -- I'm going to have words with you after this, Manu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I like that even though he's getting the tough question, he, like, validates.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: And if the minority leader thought he was going to catch a break after that, well, no. Because Sonia has a twin brother. And he also grilled Jeffries. Here's Sanjay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANJAY RAJU, FUTURE CNN REPORTER: So --

JEFFRIES: As long as this is not a question that your dad sent to you.

SANJAY RAJU: Well, actually, it is a question that my dad told me.

JEFFRIES: This is truth coming to us. Go ahead.

SANJAY RAJU: He told me it yesterday night. Would you have voted to expel Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick?

JEFFRIES: First of all, you did a great job pronouncing her name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:00:00]

KEILAR: Again, the affirmation.

SANCHEZ: Yes, also, Manu, having his kid ask an expulsion question to the leader.

KEILAR: He always takes the moment to make the news.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: Sonia and Sanjay, great work. Very good work on Take Your Child to Work Day here.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END