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Flood Watch; New Video of Alleged D.C. Gunman; Iran Talks Stalled?; Future of Spirit Airlines?. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired May 01, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not saying it's easy, but it's easier than some of those others. And they just simply have left it on the table.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Tarini.

TARINI PARTI, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Yes, I mean, I think, just six months ago, or even at the start of the cycle, we were not talking about the Senate map, really. And now it tells you what the political climate is like, where we're talking about seats like Iowa and Ohio and -- being in play.

And it just tells you how Republicans and the president have not been able to get a handle on talking about the midterms and these issues like gas prices.

BASH: Thank you all for this rock 'n' roll day. Thank you for coming in and joining us on your debut at CNN.

Thank you for joining INSIDE POLITICS.

"CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Breaking news to CNN: President Trump says an announcement will come soon on the future of Spirit Airlines, the low-cost airline reportedly in trouble. Ahead, what this means for travelers.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Plus, a new peace proposal seems to be dead on arrival, the president saying he's dissatisfied with Iran's latest pitch to end the war. So where do things go from here?

And with no end in sight to that war, another gut punch at the pump, gas prices jumping another 9 cents overnight. They're now at their highest level in nearly four years, and frustration is growing for Americans as the summer road trip may be getting more expensive.

We are following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SANCHEZ: Breaking news on Spirit Airlines. "The New York Times" and "Wall Street Journal" are now reporting the low-fare airline is preparing to shut down after the company failed to get a $500 million bailout from President Trump, impacts from the war with Iran ultimately sending Spirit into what appears to be an economic tailspin, which the airline has been unable to recover from.

CNN senior business reporter David Goldman leads us off.

So, David, what have we learned?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, so President Trump had something to say about this just a few moments ago, talking pretty tepidly about the potential for a deal. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Did you decide against bailing out Spirit Airlines?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I guess we're looking at it. If we could do it, we'd do it, but only if it's a good deal.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) that they're preparing to shut down this weekend because they haven't gotten a deal.

TRUMP: Well, we're looking at it, but if we can't make a good deal -- no institution's been able to do it. I said, I'd like to save the jobs, but we will have an announcement some time today. We gave them -- we gave them a final proposal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLDMAN: OK, so President Trump there saying maybe the deal is coming, some kind of announcement, maybe today, maybe tomorrow.

We know that Spirit Airlines is in bankruptcy. It's been in bankruptcy for quite some time, and there has been substantial doubt that this airline could continue operations even before the Iran war. And then, since then, jet fuel prices have doubled, making it financially impossible for this airline to get out of bankruptcy.

The creditors have taken a look at the Trump administration's proposal, but they haven't been all that excited about taking what would effectively be government control of this airline and wiping out the shareholders.

Now, this is an airline that, remember, had tried to merge with JetBlue, but the Biden administration said, no, it wouldn't allow that to happen. And now it's stuck in this situation.

But I just want to talk about how important Spirit Airlines is to the American air industry. It has about 2 percent of all flights. It doesn't sound like a lot. It's about 500 a day, but that has a dramatic effect on the prices for every airline.

Remember, almost every airline, Delta, United, American, all of them now have basic economy, and that is because they're competing with Spirit Airlines. And the other thing, as you just saw, there are 14,000 employees, and that's what President Trump was referencing there when he says that he wants to save those jobs.

Those would probably go away if Spirit Airlines ceases operations.

SANCHEZ: Yes, not to mention the headache that this represents for people that have tickets for upcoming flights on Spirit Airlines.

GOLDMAN: Yes, that's right.

SANCHEZ: We will stay on top of this story, as we anticipate the president's announcement on this.

David Goldman, thanks so much for the update -- Jessica.

DEAN: President Trump throwing cold water on a new peace proposal from Iran, Tehran sending a plan to Pakistani mediators earlier.

But, just moments ago, this is what President Trump said:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So they want to make a deal, but I don't -- I'm not satisfied with it, so we will see what happens.

QUESTION: did it move the needle? Did it move the needle?

TRUMP: Iran wants to make a deal because they have no military left, essentially, and they want to make a deal. But I'm not satisfied with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:05:00]

DEAN: With us now, CNN global affairs analyst and former Middle East and North Africa coordinator for the National Security Council Brett McGurk.

Brett, it's good to see you on Friday afternoon.

So, we heard from the president there.

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes.

DEAN: I'm curious what questions you have outstanding around any...

(CROSSTALK)

MCGURK: I think the dynamic, it -- I would -- Jessica, it's a dual blockade stalemate right now. That's basically what we have, a classic kind of coercive diplomacy.

We are blocking Iranian ports, but Iran is blocking the entire global economy through the Strait of Hormuz, bit of a game of chicken. So how do you get out of this? There's kind of three options. One is just endurance. So who can endure longer?

And this is where I think actually both sides, the U.S. and Iran, believe that time is on their side. I think there's a view in the U.S. administration that the pressure on Iran is really going to start to bite, they're going to have to make some concessions.

I think the Iranians believe this global economic pressure will really begin to bite on the White House. So that's the dynamic. You can have an off-ramp. There could be a deal through Pakistan or through a back channel to try to resolve something in a room on the Strait of Hormuz, or maybe on the nuclear piece. I think that's unlikely. We can talk about that.

Or -- and here's the real risk -- you return to the military confrontation. So, Iran could try to break out of its blockade by attacking ships in the Gulf, by attacking Gulf infrastructure across the Gulf, or the U.S. military could begin strikes again to put what it believes would be additional pressure on Iran.

That's basically where we are. It's a predicament. Right now, it's a stalemate. And I think both sides are trying to believe that time is on their side.

DEAN: Whose side is time on, though?

MCGURK: It's a great question.

(LAUGHTER)

MCGURK: Look, I think the economic pressure on Iran is going to really significantly begin to bite. The problem, though, is, the decision-makers in Iran, to the extent we know who the decision-makers are, are these guys from the Revolutionary Guards, who economic pressure on their people, on their country doesn't really move them too much.

And what we're asking them to do, Jessica, is to make major concessions on the nuclear program. And Iran's nuclear program, in their mind, is a weapons program. It gives them optionality for a weapon. Why don't they want to give up enrichment? That's the big demand, not because you need enrichment to have a civil nuclear program.

You don't. Because, without enrichment, they're never going to have a pathway to a nuclear weapon.

DEAN: Right.

MCGURK: So you combine their mind-set, these are guys who fought in the Iran-Iraq War, and you combine what they feel might be an existential threat to them, and it makes them even more likely to give a concession on that critical issue.

They should. They should, but it's going to be hard.

DEAN: Well, and the president has said, in his words, essentially, we don't really know who we're negotiating with.

MCGURK: Yes.

DEAN: Do you think that's right?

MCGURK: I think that's probably right. Even when you had -- when I was negotiating with Iranians under -- under -- they had a coherent system, supreme leader, five men around the supreme leader -- it was still hard to get a decision, because they would play games. They have different factions.

But it was still hard to actually get a firm decision and pin them down. Here, it's even more difficult, because they have had this vacuum open. And Khamenei's son, the current supreme leader, nobody's seen him.

DEAN: Right.

MCGURK: So -- and he seems to be communicating as Osama bin Laden or something in hiding. It's very difficult.

That's why I come back to...

DEAN: Well, and there's questions of how well he is also, yes.

MCGURK: Yes, or if he's even alive.

DEAN: If he's alive, yes.

MCGURK: I don't know.

So, I come back to, I think we're in a stalemate. I think this is going to go on for some time, Jessica. I don't see an immediate off- ramp. And it's going to be tough. I wish I saw prospects for a deal. I just -- and I'm mindful of my own experience with the Iranians. It's going to be very hard to get them to a deal that we might agree on.

Perhaps there could be some interim arrangement, where the Strait of Hormuz opens up and reduces this economic pressure. But I don't think the U.S. side is ready to do that, nor do I think they should. I do think we should keep the economic pressure on Iran, as we demand some moves on their nuclear program.

DEAN: Maybe that works, and, to your point, maybe it doesn't move the needle. We will see.

MCGURK: Going to keep trying.

DEAN: Brett McGurk, good to see you.

MCGURK: Thank you.

DEAN: Thank you so much.

Still to come here: Prosecutors release new videos showing the moments before the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, and it's revealing brand-new details about exactly what happened last Saturday night.

Plus, gas prices surging again. They're now up nearly $1.50 since the start of this war. We're talking to drivers where they're feeling that price increase at the pump.

And, later, a Supreme Court case unleashes the MAHA moms.

That and much more coming up right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:13:57]

SANCHEZ: The Justice Department is releasing new video showing the gunmen during last weekend's alleged attempt on President Trump's life at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The video includes much clearer and slowed-down footage of the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, appearing to hold a rifle as he rushes past security one floor above where the president was dining. The Justice Department even circled the points where gunshots were fired.

And watch the upper left corner. You can see moments before Allen appears -- or goes into that hallway, there's a canine that appears at the doorway looking down the hallway, which has elevators, for approximately 12 seconds.

And, as the dog moves out, he goes back in for a second time. And after that second time, Allen runs out of the doorway. So, the canine may have been onto something.

Let's talk about this with CNN senior law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey, former police commissioner of Philadelphia, former chief of police in D.C.

Chief, thanks so much for being with us.

First, when you watch this video, what stands out to you?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I have watched it several times now, and this enhanced video gives you a much better idea of what actually took place.

[13:15:03]

And it is interesting that, as the suspect walks into that one doorway, there is a canine officer and the canine that follows him in there. It looks as if he's having some kind of conversation.

Now, what I couldn't make out was whether or not he had a coat or something on at the time. It looks like he has something slung over his shoulder. But they're in the process of taking down the magnetometers, which is not unusual. That's what happens in these events.

But then this individual suddenly pops out of the door, and he's running full gait toward the one open magnetometer. That one uniformed Secret Service officer, though, he was paying attention. He saw it unfold. He drew his weapon. And he's the one that got shot, but he still managed to get five shots off.

So, I mean, my hat's off to him. He really did a tremendous job.

SANCHEZ: I also wonder if you think there are some potential lessons to learn from this security setup. Obviously, one of the magnetometers is being uninstalled. It's being taken down. So this seemed to be a lull in the action, as the guests at the dinner and the president were sort of sitting waiting for it to start, waiting for it to get under way.

RAMSEY: Well, they were starting to break down the magnetometers, but, if you notice, there's about 10 police officers standing around. So they didn't abandon the post.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

RAMSEY: But the one that was really paying attention was that one uniformed Secret Service officer. Everybody else is kind of distracted.

Now, that's a problem. And, again, that's got to be addressed. I don't know what went on behind that door where the canine officer was there, because he emerges just a couple of seconds after he turns his back with the dog and walks away. So I don't know what happened there.

But, clearly, there are some things that are going to have to improve when they do their after-action report, because, again, how did he even get to that floor with those weapons? I mean, did he use the stairwell? If so, who's guarding the stairwell? I mean, there are a lot of unanswered questions.

But the Secret Service, as far as taking care of their protectees, they did their job. That one uniformed officer was definitely alert. But the others didn't seem to be paying much attention until after the shots were fired.

SANCHEZ: Yes, for many of them, their backs were sort of turned or they were looking in a different direction.

RAMSEY: Right.

SANCHEZ: D.C. U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro said that the Secret Service officer who was hurt was not shot by friendly fire. There had been some question as to how that person was shot, whether it was the suspect or not.

We were waiting on ballistics reports. Talk to us about that process of figuring out who fired what.

RAMSEY: Well, initially, I thought it could have been friendly fire as well until this enhanced video.

And you see, as he runs through that one open magnetometer, he does point the gun up toward that officer. I couldn't see a muzzle flash, but if the shot was fired, that's when it would have taken place. And then the officer, of course, returned fire.

But the ballistics exam, the bullet struck the officer in the vest, so they probably have a pellet there. And they can tell whether or not that was a gun either from another police officer, because anyone who fired their weapon, they would do a ballistics check on that. They would also do a check on the suspect on his weapon as well.

I don't know if he had buckshot. I don't know if he was -- what exactly it was he was firing, but they would be able to tell the difference. But I thought it was friendly fire myself at first, but now that I see the enhanced video, I don't think it's friendly fire. I do think the suspect shot at him.

SANCHEZ: Chief Charles Ramsey, thanks so much for sharing your perspective.

Up next: More than 14 million Americans are under a flood watch. We're going to show you where the risk is gravest.

And see the moment that heroic bystanders break down a fence in order to rescue a man from a house fire. That video coming your way in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:23:31]

DEAN: Right now, nearly 14 million Americans are under a flood watch. That threat extends from Texas to Mississippi. And some areas could see more than five inches of rain.

Meteorologist Chris Warren is joining us now.

Chris, I knew you're tracking all of this. And what are you seeing?

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Jessica, flash flood watches mean conditions are favorable for, at least the atmosphere is setting up so we could see some flooding. Warnings mean that it's either happening or it's about to happen.

And that's what we see here. These are warnings, a considerable threat for flash flooding. It is ongoing in parts of San Antonio, also flash flood warnings in parts of West Texas with series -- a series of thunderstorms rolling through. The green are the watch areas. The red are the warnings.

So, again, you can think of it as we're watching for warnings. And if you get a warning, you need to take action. So that threat is there with us in Texas into Louisiana. And that rain is spreading right along that I-10 Corridor, even getting up to Interstate 20 across Mississippi and Alabama.

The yellow and the orange, that's the heavier flooding rain that we're seeing. And then these flashes, that's the lightning as well, another indicator that these are some strong, potent storms.

Excessive rainfall risk, so essentially where you could get too much rain that will overwhelm some drainage systems, natural or otherwise, from Austin to Alexandria and into parts of Southern Mississippi. The rain with the future radar does show that it's going to stay pretty heavy, at least in chunks, in these storms here right through this evening, moving into the Florida Panhandle.

[13:25:05]

Not a great day to walk along the beautiful beaches here in Florida, and then another push of rain and possibly some wind with this during the overnight hours into the early morning. And then this pushes into Central Florida by tomorrow evening.

So, the threat is also there that some of the thunderstorms are not only going to produce some very heavy rain, but also the potential for some damaging thunderstorms, some very strong winds possible with these storms.

So here's the rain. And when you look at this, you see the yellow and the orange, two to four inches, possibly some areas up to about five or even more than five inches of rain. But, right here, if you try to find that silver lining, while you're not getting a ton of rain where some of these wildfires are burning, it's still close enough. And every little bit counts.

And it's also, Jessica, going to be helping to chip away with what is and remains intense drought across a lot of the Southeast, exceptional here being the most intense form. So, every raindrop does count, at least when it comes to this.

DEAN: All right, Chris Warren breaking it down for us, thanks so much.

Also, as gas prices surge, new polling finds, for the first time in more than a decade, more Americans trust Democrats over Republicans when it comes to the economy. One Republican lawmaker will join us right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)