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Gas Prices Jump To $4.398 A Gallon, Up $1.41 Since Start Of War; Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), Is Interviewed About More Americans Trust Dems On Economy, Inflation; Texas Start-Up Tests Drones To Stop School Shooters. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired May 01, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:40]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Today U.S. gas prices are hitting a new wartime high. The national average for a gallon is now $4.39. That is up $1.41 since the war with Iran began. If you do a little math, that means the average American SUV driver with an 18-gallon tank is paying an additional $25 every time they fill up compared to just 60 days ago.

Let's bring in CNN's Gloria Pazmino. She's at a gas station in New York where they're certainly feeling these higher prices. Gloria, what are people saying to you?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're saying that the math is not really working out. The math is not mathing, as they say, Jessica. You know, I spoke to drivers who are even making a calculation as specific as this. They're stopping at this gas station here in New York, which is more expensive than, say, New Jersey.

So they're buying about $10 worth of cash here, then making their commute to New Jersey, where they know gas is a little cheaper, and they're filling up the rest of the tank there because just that difference makes enough of a difference in that person's budget.

Now, I spoke to a lot of frustrated drivers, but they're also telling me that they feel like they don't have a choice. Many of them have to get behind the wheel to go to work, to commute, to go home, and many of them make a living behind the wheel.

The cabbies here in New York City, many of them have been fueling up throughout the day, and they were also saying that a lot of people are not taking cabs because they're trying to save money on cabs. They're taking public transportation as gas prices start to increase. Take a listen to what one driver told me today. He's feeling the pinch, but he's grateful that at least for now, he's making it work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUISITO CASTRO, DRIVER: So I think that the prices are a little high. I think that eventually we're going to get through this. Unfortunately, you know, we're left to pay for what's going on over there in Iran, and that's unfortunate. Yes, there's a big effect in my pocket, but at the end of the day, I'm fortunate enough to have a job where I can be able to sustain somewhat, you know?

PAZMINO: But even though you have that, are you making changes in any way? Are you cutting back in other places?

CASTRO: Absolutely.

PAZMINO: Like what?

CASTRO: Yes, like just other expenses, things that I just don't normally do. Like, you know, I don't eat out as much, you know, try to do things more at home, that type of thing. And that's where I try to save my money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So for some people, it means, you know, fewer chances to go out. It means maybe you're not going to travel as much. That gas price is hovering around $4.39 for the national average. Just a little higher here in New York, $4.69 for the regular, $6.30 if you are going to get the premium gas. And in the last few months, we've seen a 47 percent increase since the conflict in the Middle East started and just a significant increase in gas prices in just the last nine days alone. Jessica?

DEAN: Yes, that's one people will certainly notice. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that. Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: With the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed and President Trump considering an extended blockade, there appears to be no end in sight to these soaring gas prices. And now a new "Fox News" poll finds that for the first time in more than a decade, Americans trust Democrats on the economy more than Republicans. Democrats now carry a four-point edge over the GOP on that issue and an eight-point advantage when it comes to inflation and prices.

Now, Democrats haven't had an advantage like this on the economy since 2010 when Barack Obama was president as the country recovered from the Great Recession. Joining us now to discuss, Florida Republican Congressman Mike Haridopolos. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. So, as you heard, there are gas prices jumping nine cents overnight. How much higher do you expect these prices to go?

REP. MIKE HARIDOPOLOS (R-FL): Well, let's hope they stabilize and eventually go down. That is our goal because, as you know, Boris, since 1979, Iran has been a major thorn. And every president, Republican and Democrat alike, recognized the threat of Iran. Now we actually have the neighbors siding with us. And let's hope we can end this conflict quickly and bring more gas online.

[13:34:59]

And we're going to see a lot of that come online, as you know, Boris, because we're increasing production here in the United States. And, of course, Venezuela is going to start really pumping that gas pretty soon as well. So let's hope that happens, but this is a struggle for all Americans and why we need to hopefully end this conflict successfully so we can bring down gas prices and, of course, most importantly, bring peace to a region that has not enjoyed it for too long.

SANCHEZ: It's not just gas prices, as you know, Congressman. Farmers are also struggling because fertilizer costs have spiked. I wonder, as you said that you hope this gets done quickly, how much time you think the administration has to get a deal done before you start to worry about this impacting midterms?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, as you just brought up in 2010, the Democrats had a slight edge as far. This is early. This is you're talking about the 1st of May. We're going to work on this issue. I think the best politics is good policy, and a good policy is eliminating the threat of Iran around the world.

It will eventually bring down gas prices. You're seeing changes taking place already. As you know, with OPEC, the UAE has decided to say, I've had enough of their policies, and hopefully they'll bring on more gasoline because there is an abundance of gasoline around the world.

So that being said, we all want to end this more quickly, but we have to do it on our timetable. The Iranians are a group that killed their own citizens, have killed Americans since 1979 to the thousands, and I want the President to convict this war in such a successful manner that we don't have this threat in our future.

SANCHEZ: But isn't there sort of a flaw in that idea about a timetable? Because even if the Iranian economy is cratering, their leadership doesn't answer to public opinion. They won't be voted out of office. So is crippling their economy really going to spur a deal if they could just wait this out? Especially because to them, this is existential, and they're willing to be martyred for their cause. So isn't it likely that they would just wait this out and, as you said, continue to repress their own people?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, again, it is a challenging situation when you deal with madmen. That's what we're dealing with, literally madmen. President Obama tried to bribe his way into success, meaning they tried to give them so much money they'd come to their senses, they didn't do it. The President has bombed them, where they have no Navy, they only deal with drones, et cetera now.

Let's hope the President can bring an end to this conflict, but do it on our terms. But to your point, Boris, it's a tough one. Again, when you deal with crazy, it's a challenge. But that's why we're going to try to bring on as much oil and as much new things around the world, because that's why we want to diversify the economy. And that's why I think we're going to see a lot of that come from Venezuela and other parts of our nation, so we're more self-reliant as opposed to relying on the Middle East. Because, after all, it's the Chinese probably being most dramatically impacted right now because they're so reliant on Iran. SANCHEZ: You brought up the Obama administration unfreezing Iran's assets. That, reportedly, is something that the administration has considered in these negotiations as well, to the tune of some up to $20 billion, I believe. I do wonder if all this ultimately leads to boots on the ground, because I'm not sure that an air campaign is going to get the kind of concessions that you would want from Tehran. Isn't that where this is going?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, I think what I understand, and I think you reported on it before, the only way we give them any resources is if we extract it and there's a deal to extract all the nuclear production they've already made. We want to make sure those devices, they can never, of course, attack their neighbors, let alone other folks. And, as you know, they've actually fired a missile thousands of miles away into the Indian Ocean that we never thought possible.

So they are still a threat. And the only way we'd give them any more resources to help their economy would be if they actually turned over those nuclear materials that they've been creating for years.

SANCHEZ: On the War Powers Act, the President has 60 days to get authorization from Congress after notifying them of a military operation. It's been 60 days since President Trump told Congress about the war with Iran. Do you think there's going to be a vote on the Iran war? I mean, I imagine that you believe that Congress has the authority to declare war.

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, as you know, since 1973, the War Powers Act is very clear, 60 days and an additional 30 days. I would not be surprised if we see a vote in the next 30 days. Again, looking at this conflict, it's a legitimate thing for Congress to do. We do have oversight on this. And, of course, there'll be an additional 30 days on top that should a decision be made to move forward or not.

But that said, again, I'm optimistic that the President can bring this to a successful conclusion, reduce the threat in the Middle East, save lives and, of course, long-term bring down gas prices because that's our goal here. We saw how the Germans, for example, went the other direction and they're paying a heck of a lot more for energy than we ever have.

But it's a real struggle. I think that the person you brought up in the opening of the show is indicative of what's going on. People are struggling, but they also recognize they think this is hopefully a temporary situation to take out this evil regime long-term.

[13:40:06]

SANCHEZ: So, Congressman, when you hear the President say that the War Powers Act isn't constitutional, what is your response?

HARIDOPOLOS: Well, that's been what every president says. So we're going to have that debate. And, you know, I respect the checks and balance system because, as you know, Boris, I'm a former history teacher, and I think that we are going to have these type of debates. But we are giving the President the opportunity to do every president said they wanted to do. And that is to successfully prosecute a war against an evil regime that has killed thousands of their own people. So you can just see that you described very well the regime that knows no balance.

And so we are concerned, my own sons in the United States Air Force, and I fear whatever might happen, but I'm pretty confident that we're going to bring in to the successful conclusion and bring in more energy resources, not just from the Middle East, but around the world, so we can help folks like the person you highlighted at the top of the show.

DEAN: Congressman Mike Haridopolos, we have to leave the conversation there. Look forward to the next one.

HARIDOPOLOS: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.

Up next, could drones help stop school shooters? We're going to show you how new technology using drones could help save lives. Stay with us.

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[13:45:32]

SANCHEZ: We're keeping an eye on protests today in Raleigh, North Carolina, and other cities. A rally in honor of May Day, or International Workers Day, is now underway. The rally is called Kids Over Corporations, and it's been organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators. Protesters are calling for an increase in teacher pay and funding for schools. One of several May 1st worker rallies across the country. Dozens of school systems wound up being scheduled to close today because of the number of teachers expected to be at these rallies. We're going to keep watching these protests today and bring you any updates we get.

So often, the tragedy caused by a school shooter unfolds quickly, and these senseless acts are pushing officials and law enforcement to look for new ways to respond.

DEAN: A startup in Texas sees drones as a possible solution, and CNN Aviation correspondent Pete Muntean got a look at how that technology works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, pilots, good to go.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Here in this Austin, Texas middle school, we're seeing how to stop a school shooting with a swarm of tiny drones. It's a new idea ripped from the world of indoor drone racing, placing a nest of drones inside hallways. MUNTEAN: So, what do you guys call this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've just been calling it the box.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): And launching them remotely the moment a lockdown begins.

JUSTIN MARSTON, CAMPUS GUARDIAN ANGEL: So, in a school shooting, most of the death happens in the first two minutes, and it's really hard to get an effective response there in that first two minutes.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Justin Marston is the founder of Campus Guardian Angel, the Texas startup that envisions drones mounted on the wall of every school nationwide waiting for an emergency.

For now, the system is still in trials here in Texas with a pilot program launching in Florida and lawmakers in Georgia considering it next.

MARSTON: As soon as people see it, it becomes really obvious and compelling.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): To prove it, I got to watch a test live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): For this demonstration, the drone operators are right at our side instead of in a control room where they navigate using a 3D scan of the school's interior.

Part one, speed, the drones ripped through halls scanning for a threat and feeding point of video back in real time.

BILL KING, CO-FOUNDER, CAMPUS GUARDIAN ANGEL: As soon as I can find him, five seconds later, I can be flying.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Bill King is a former Navy SEAL and co-founder of Campus Guardian Angel. Live drone video can be relayed to police giving them a clearer picture before they move in.

MUNTEAN: So, we've moved on to a different part of the demo now that apparently requires safety glasses.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): The team here has now pulled out a stand-in shooter. His name --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Silent Bob.

MUNTEAN: Silent Bob?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, because he never complains.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even as he is pelted with pepper spray balls, enough to stop a real shooter. Even an unarmed drone can still pack a punch and can subdue a shooter by ramming into them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice.

RICK GOODRICH, BOERNE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: Anything that causes that distraction, anything that takes their attention away from potential victims is a win.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Rick Goodrich is the chief of safety and security for a school district near San Antonio.

GOODRICH: When a drone enters the room, it's the only thing you're thinking about.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Campus Guardian Angel admits this system will not be cheap, costing schools about as much as a school police officer's salary and benefits. This technology is still in its early phases and has never been used in an actual school shooting. But the hope is this can be an emerging tool in a fight with no easy answers.

MARSTON: If we see somebody murdering children, we want to stop them murdering children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MUNTEAN: This is about to be put through its first major test. Florida's pilot program officially launches today at a high school in Deltona. Campus Guardian Angel tells me there will be a testing phase and then a training phase before the drones are live.

This idea does have some critics, though, who question whether this is all that much of an improvement. Some have pointed out drones in schools may not do much beyond existing security cameras. And they also question whether it's the best way to spend tight school budgets.

So there are two big questions with this initial rollout. Not only will this work, but whether drones in schools will really be worth it.

DEAN: Well, and you have to think these drones will continue to be updated probably quickly. I mean, the technology is moving fast.

MUNTEAN: It's moving at a blistering pace. And they're really taking this idea from drone racing, a hobby idea, and sort of blending it with these tactics that are used in schools all the time. The big thing is getting drones deployed quickly and getting police a better idea of what's going on right away. Because, as we heard, seconds count and so many lives are on the line.

[13:50:14]

SANCHEZ: So, theoretically, would these operators be at a third location and then they're alerted?

MUNTEAN: They're sort of standing by.

SANCHEZ: A security system.

MUNTEAN: Yes. They're sort of standing by at a command center waiting for this. And so they would have, essentially, a LIDAR system or 3D scan of the school to be able to launch at a moment's notice. And what they're doing right now today in Florida is the installation phase of this high school in Deltona, where they will actually have these nests set up.

And then they go through sort of the practice and the practical things here to see how this will work in schools across the country. It's just an idea. And the way to solve school shootings is clearly very complex. But maybe this could get more information. And that has been the battle in so many of these cases. It's just getting information quickly and reliably to those who are responding to one of these.

DEAN: Yes, and anything that's going to save anybody's life, you know, even if it's just one, that's good enough. All right, Pete, good to see you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

DEAN: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, if at first you don't succeed, try a new nominee. The President picking a third candidate for surgeon general as the so-called MAHA Moms express disappointment over some recent decisions by the administration.

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[13:55:58]

SANCHEZ: Perhaps the third time will be the charm as President Trump announces his latest pick for Surgeon General. He just tapped Dr. Nicole Saphier for the role. His previous nominee, Dr. Casey Means, hit a roadblock on Capitol Hill. Dr. Means was an early supporter of the Make America Healthy Again movement, a movement that helped propel Trump to the White House. But now some MAHA supporters say they feel betrayed by the administration. CNN's Meena Duerson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: People versus poison. People versus poison.

VANI HARI, "FOOD BABE" ACTIVIST: You cannot tell Americans to eat real food while protecting the cancer-causing chemicals sprayed on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to fight, fight, fight.

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we're at the People versus Poison rally in Washington, D.C., where a group of some of the biggest names in MAHA have gathered together to protest against big companies that they say are poisoning Americans with chemicals.

DUERSON (voice-over): A year and a half after the Make America Healthy Again movement helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency, it's facing a big test.

HARI: Let's be honest, we wouldn't be here right now if President Trump didn't sign that executive order. DUERSON (voice-over): MAHA's coalition of health and wellness influencers, vaccine skeptics and environmentalists united under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a champion of their causes. As an environmental lawyer, he'd helped win a landmark settlement against the makers of the weed killer Roundup, arguing its chemical, glyphosate, caused his client's cancer, a claim the company denied.

But this week, the Trump administration supported the current manufacturer of Roundup, Bayer, in a Supreme Court case over whether Americans can sue for alleged harms from chemical exposure. And in February, Trump signed an executive order protecting glyphosate as crucial to the national security and defense.

DUERSON: How did you feel when you saw that executive order?

ZEN HONEYCUTT, FOUNDER, MOMS ACROSS AMERICA: I was disgusted. I was literally sick to my stomach.

DUERSON: A lot of the speakers here are people who were very active in helping RFK Jr. campaign for President Trump. There's a lot of conversation here about whether those promises are actually being followed through on.

What is your sense of the movement?

ALEX CLARK, HOST, "CULTURE APOTHECARY" PODCAST: I'm saying we are on the brink of falling apart. I'm like in Red Rover right now, OK? I am diehard conservative and I got this group of MAHA Moms and I'm trying to keep us together.

HONEYCUTT: There were millions of Democratic and independent moms in particular that voted Republican because they believed Trump that he was going to do something about pesticides in the food.

ALEXANDRA MUNOZ, TOXICOLOGIST: MAHA is feeling betrayed and completely dissatisfied with what the administration has done.

DUERSON (voice-over): The momentum of the MAHA movement has given many of its leading voices unprecedented access to a presidential administration.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HHS SECRETARY: In just 15 months, HHS has delivered historic wins.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The American people --

DUERSON (voice-over): And they're not ready to give up that proximity to power, even as the pesticide issue threatens to overshadow their other gains.

HONEYCUTT: I don't regret any of the boost or, you know, the power that has been had because there's a lot of amazing things that have been done.

DUERSON: How could they do this stuff at the same time as listening to what's so important to so many women and moms like you? HARI: I don't think they understood what they did. They kicked the hornet's nest. And now I think they're starting to realize it.

DUERSON (voice-over): As the midterms loom this fall, the pressure to please MAHA voters is on.

CLARK: A lot of these moms held their nose and voted for Trump in 2024, and they're not sure that they're willing to vote red in the midterms again. It's very important for the GOP to recognize that MAHA voters are not loyal to a certain political party. MAHA voters are a coalition that's up for grabs.

HARI: It makes us actually, women with children especially, sit at home instead of going to the ballot.

MUNOZ: MAHA is looking for any representatives that are willing to stand up against corporations and put their foot down.

DUERSON (voice-over): And Democrats are recognizing there's power in embracing MAHA messaging.

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): This has got to be a movement that grows, does not divide, but multiplies.

REP. CHELLIE PINGREE (D-ME): Well, I've spent a lot of time telling my Democratic colleagues, I know this issue isn't on the top of your list, but pay attention to it.

DUERSON: Is this an opportunity, kind of get some of those voters back?

PINGREE: Absolutely. Absolutely.

[13:59:59]

ROSIE HOFFMAN, INDEPENDENT VOTER: If anybody is supporting the things that I align with in the health and wellness space, then they probably have my vote.

CLARK: This is do or die. This is sink or swim. This is the Titanic is going down. Hundreds of thousands of free votes that fell out of thin air in 2024 have vanished.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Meena Duerson for that report. A new hour of CNN News Central starts right now.