Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Judge Privately Admonished DOJ Prosecutors for Grandstanding at Hearing for Press Dinner Suspect; Trump Not Satisfied with New Iranian Proposal to End War; Fashion on Full Display During Derby Weekend; Anna Wintour's Successor Chloe Malle is the New Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 01, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Breaking news. CNN has exclusively learned that a federal judge privately admonished prosecutors overseeing the Justice Department's case against the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the judge accusing them of attempting to grandstand during a hearing yesterday. CNN's Katelyn Polantz was at that hearing and has the new reporting. So, Katelyn, what did they do that upset the judge?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was just a very short blip in a very short hearing for this defendant, Cole Allen, but it's a notable moment. So, yesterday, Cole Allen came into court and said with his attorneys that it was fine if he would remain behind bars, which he's going to be doing as he awaits trial for this alleged attempt on the president's life. But in the hearing, the Justice Department, they wanted to give more evidence to the judge, the court, the public, to Allen in that very moment, to present it and to show it.

And actually, later on in the day, the Justice Department sent in additional videos to the court, and they posted them on social media. They released additional photos of the guns he had just to, they say, complete the record. But none of that was needed.

What happened in court is the judge stopped them from presenting that additional evidence, and then she called them up to the bench, put the husher on in the courtroom, so white noise so no one could hear. And she said -- this is according to a transcript that I was able to get from the court today -- she said to them, "I don't know what's going on here. I know that you want to present your case, I guess, to some audience other than the court. I don't want this to turn into a circus."

[14:35:00]

So what that is hinting at is this dynamic that is happening in this case and a lot of other cases right now with the Justice Department, where there is an audience that's not just in court, that Justice Department officials, Trump administration officials, even prosecutors in courtrooms are trying to play to. She doesn't say it explicitly, but it sure sounds like the boss, the president or the attorney general.

And on top of that, there's another dynamic here where the Justice Department keeps pushing ahead of what is actually nailed down in this case. The prosecutors are even saying in this sealed part of this hearing yesterday that they didn't have finalized evidence yet to turn over the defense team. And yet you still see the U.S. attorney going on Fox News yesterday. You see the Secret Service director out yesterday all saying that they know that Cole Allen shot a Secret Service agent and that it was at point blank range. That's what the Secret Service director says.

None of that has been in court yet. And there are questions around the video that they even released yesterday of does it even show that?

SANCHEZ: Interesting. Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much for that reporting -- Jessica.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Prices at the pump jump again. The national average is now $4.39 a gallon. Now that's up nearly a dime in the last 24 hours, and it's the highest since the start of the Iran war.

There appears to be no end in sight to those high prices as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. President Trump saying today he's not satisfied with the new peace plan proposal from Iran.

And joining us to talk more about these developments, Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss. Congressman, thanks so much for being here with us.

I want to start first with this 60 day war powers deadline. The president says that's totally unconstitutional. Those are his words.

The defense secretary has made the argument to the Senate that the Trump administration doesn't need war powers approval from Congress because of the ceasefire that effectively it paused the 60 day deadline. What do you think?

REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): Thanks for having me back on. The war is illegal on day 61, but the war was also illegal on day one. The war powers resolution, which was passed in the 1970s, makes clear that a president cannot commit U.S. troops to hostilities or to imminent hostilities without one of two things. The first would be congressional authorization, and the second would be a national emergency created by an attack upon the United States. Neither of those two things existed at the end of February when this president launched an unauthorized, ill-advised war of choice. And they certainly don't exist now.

DEAN: Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has said she plans to introduce a measure on whether to formally authorize the war if she does not see what she calls a credible plan from the White House in the next week. And she says that Congress needs to step in to define to define operations, not to end them, which Democrats separate a U.S. AUMF push aims to do. Would you be open to what Murkowski is pushing? What do you think? Obviously, she's in the Senate and you're in the House. AUCHINCLOSS: It's just weak sauce from Republicans. I mean, the last decade, how often have we heard these murmurs and these complaints from Senate Republicans from House Republicans? They always fold.

What this country needs is checks and balances on an out-of-control chief executive. And that only happens through free and fair elections that put Democrats in charge of the House, in charge of the Senate, so we can take back the steering wheel of foreign policy. I mean, let's just look at the results of this 60-day fiasco.

We've got gas prices in the United States up 40 percent. And what that means -- and I've been doing multiple town halls in the last couple of weeks -- is that my constituents now are cutting back on groceries. That is the nearest term thing that they have to cut back on in order to make the gas prices work for them, usually because they have to pay the gas prices to get to work.

Number two, we've got 45 million individuals throughout this world likely to go hungry because of raising costs for fertilizer. That's a humanitarian catastrophe. And then finally, more people throughout the world now trust China's global leadership than American global leadership.

That is the result of this president's foreign policy. It's a catastrophe, and Congress needs to step in and prevent him from doing more damage.

DEAN: And so here we are, no deal obviously yet. The president has said his options with Iran are get a deal, or in his words, blast the hell out of them. He did say his preference was not to start the bombing campaign, quote, on a human basis. He said, I'd prefer not to.

Do you think that the Trump administration is putting adequate and reasonable and effective pressure on the Iranian government?

AUCHINCLOSS: The president's trying to bluster his way through a lack of strategy because he already did blast the hell out of them, as he says, 13,000 to 20,000 strikes on Iranian command and control military infrastructure. And what has that left us?

[14:40:00]

That's left us with an Ayatollah who's even more hardened and hardline than his dad. That's left Iran in command now of a new strategic deterrent with chokepoint control of the Strait of Hormuz. And they still have the enriched uranium.

This war has managed to set the United States back strategically relative to Iran. And the president is now trying to say, well, I'll just do another six weeks of that.

What a absolutely sophomoric approach to what is becoming a game of brinksmanship between the United States and Iran. What needs to happen is we have to work with our allies to prise away the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian control. And then we're going to have to negotiate some version of a JCPOA with Iran, because candidly, we're in a weaker position now than we were six weeks ago.

DEAN: American officials have reviewed intelligence suggesting that the Iranian economy can only survive for another few weeks, if not days, before the strain of this blockade forces its collapse.

Do you not -- so I guess my question is, if that is indeed true, do you not think that force is an issue at a certain point? Or you think you think the Iranian leadership will just push through that?

AUCHINCLOSS: Analysts and experts are debating right now what Iranians top off point is, which means when do they hit saturation for their ability to store oil since they can't export much of it. And there's a lot of uncertainty there. There's uncertainty about their ability to export oil via rail to China, for example, is uncertainty about how many underused or decrepit containers they can repurpose to help store that oil.

And there's uncertainty about how much damage they would actually do to their wells should they shut them down. But here's where I think everybody is in alignment. This regime is zealotous and hardline, and they don't care about how much pain they inflict upon their own people, which means their pain tolerance as a regime is likely much higher than we think.

And number two, energy prices are going to keep on going up. The futures market for oil is not accounting for how much pain I think the global energy markets are about to bear over the next six months. And what that means is pain for my for my constituents and pain for Americans.

And it's pain caused by this president.

DEAN: All right, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.

And it is Derby weekend and CNN is at Churchill Downs. We're going to talk predictions, odds and Derby fashion. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Some of the other headlines we're watching this hour right now, nearly 14 million Americans are under a flood watch. The severe weather threat extends from Texas to Mississippi and some places can see more than five inches of rain. Despite the risk of flash flooding, the rain will become -- will be welcome news, I should say, for Georgia and Florida, which are experiencing drought conditions right now.

Meantime, a sea of demonstrators are flooding streets around the globe at annual May Day protests from Havana, Cuba to Los Angeles and the nation's capital. People are marching for better working conditions and against rising energy prices. May 1st is a public holiday in many countries to mark International Workers Day, when workers unions traditionally rally around wages, inequality and broader political issues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Oh, my God, It's going for you! Run! Run! Go!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Two foil surfers got quite the shock when they spotted a shark following one of them. This was just off the coast of California. The man taking the video says the shark chased his friend for over a mile.

He thinks it was at least 10 feet long. Lucky for them, the animal eventually lost interest in foil surfing and decided to take up other hobbies swimming away -- Jessica.

DEAN: Wow. Well, grab your fascinator, grab a mint julep. The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. All eyes on Churchill Downs to see which horse will come out on top in the first leg of the Triple Crown.

CNN Sports anchor Andy Scholes is live there now. What's the atmosphere like? Andy, you are dressed to impress in your best there.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Jessica, incredible atmosphere here at Churchill Downs today. It's the Kentucky Oaks, all the fans wearing pink for breast cancer awareness. And you know, this certainly has become such an event.

You know, it used to just be the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Now the Kentucky Oaks is such a big deal on this Friday, and it's actually going to be in primetime on national television on NBC tonight for the first time ever.

Now, when it comes to the big race tomorrow, the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, Renegade is the favorite, but he drew the dreaded post number one and no horse has won on the rail here at the Derby since 1986. So we'll see if Renegade can finally break that losing streak now.

A cool story to watch here at the Derby this year is going to be the one with the Mott family. So Bill Mott won with Sovereignty last year. And he's got another race in the horse this year in Chief Wallabee. He is one of the favorites, but Bill's got some competition in his own bloodline. His son, Riley, is making his Derby debut with two horses, Albus and Incredibolt.

This is actually the first time a father and son have squared off in the Derby since 1964. And I got the chance to speak with both dad and son and they told me, well, they both want the bragging rights at the dinner table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL MOTT, TRAINER, CHIEF WALLABEE: I want to beat him. That's my job. And, you know, my goal is to do the best we can with the horse that we train. And, you know, I'd love to see his horses run well. Look, if I can't win, I hope he does. RILEY MOTT, TRAINER MAKING DEBUT WITH 2 HORSES: We're both the ultimate competitors, as is everybody in this industry. So, you know, I want what's best for him, but I want to beat him for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:50:00]

SCHOLES: Now, when it comes to people watching events in the entire world, this right here at Churchill Downs at the Oaks in the Derby has got to be number one. And actually, Thursday here at Churchill Downs has become a pretty big deal itself. You know, it's called Thurby, Thursday Derby. They mix them. They call it Thurby. And I walked around during the Thurby to find out what kind of strategies people were using for their headwear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I always buy the Fascinator first. I got told that, like, the big theme this year was, like, bright colors. And I was like, you know what? I want to look pretty much like a traffic cone. And you know what? Coming in, I pretty much did.

SCHOLES: You were successful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bought some foam and made the flower. And I bought this hat and decided the bigger, the better.

SCHOLES: Are you ever going to touch it again after this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably not. I'm one and done.

SCHOLES: One and done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One and done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is just on a headband. I probably should have pinned it. But honestly, once you start drinking, it's kind of a sobriety test whether or not your hat's going to stay on or not. And it's doing good so far. Check in with me in about an hour.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHOLES (on camera): And Jessica, it's pretty breezy out here once again today in Louisville. So, you know, I walked around. A lot of fans having to really hold on to those Fascinators as they move around the track.

DEAN: Yes, that could be quite a visual with all those swirling around in the air. Andy, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

The future of Spirit Airlines is up in the air as the low-cost airline is reportedly preparing to shut down. The details we're learning that's ahead here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

[14:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: "BEHIND THE BOB: VOGUE'S ANNA WINTOUR," an all-new CNN documentary takes a look at the career of the most celebrated and powerful people in fashion. Her influence ripples through every aspect of the fashion world from mainstream trends sparked by Vogue to the Met Gala and, of course, her iconic bob.

CNN senior style reporter Rachel Tashjian sat down with Wintour's successor Chloe Malle, recently appointed as the new editor-in-chief of Vogue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL TASHJIAN, CNN SENIOR STYLE REPORTERThere have been some social media posts about what you wear and your style. Some people saying it's too casual. And some of these you've shared.

Do you look at those things? How do you react to that?

CHLOE MALLE, HEAD OF EDITORIAL CONTENT, AMERICAN VOGUE: I do have a Google alert for my name. So, I do see when things come up. I like to know what's out there. But I'm not -- I'm certainly not reading comments because I think that's a dark place.

But yes, I dress different than Anna does. And maybe that's confusing for people. But I like getting dressed and I've always been pretty consistent in the way I dress.

And so, I plan to continue. The fact that that leans a bit towards if Katharine Hepburn was a librarian is just something people are going to have to deal with.

TASHJIAN: Did someone say that?

MALLE: No, but I like that.

TASHJIAN: OK.

MALLE: It's my dream.

TASHJIAN: There was a piece on Substack that someone wrote saying that Anna was staging a style intervention for you. Is there any truth to that?

MALLE: There's not. But I'm happy to take advice from Anna.

TASHJIAN: Well, she knows what she's talking about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Rachel joins us now to talk more about this. It's great to see you. As we see in that clip, you're talking with Chloe there about what, you know, makes her different than Anna Wintour. And stepping into those shoes is no small thing. They're obviously different people. How do you think her leadership is going to shape where Vogue is going now?

TASHJIAN (on camera): Well, it is really fascinating to see the way that Chloe is setting herself apart from Anna because there are so many people in the fashion industry who I think have kind of modeled themselves after this image of Anna. Of course, Miranda Priestly image that was made famous by the Devil Wears Prada. But as you can see, I mean, she's very open, very accessible.

We spoke at length about how, you know, she is aware that there is a perception that Anna is more stoic or perhaps more guarded and that in this new era of Vogue, she really wants to represent something different, you know, a new era, something more accessible and perhaps more digitally savvy.

DEAN: Yes, and you have to be who you are. You can't be a replica of somebody else, certainly in that position as well.

OK, let's also look ahead to the first Monday in May. We've got the Met Gala coming up next week. What are you looking for? This is like a sporting event for fashion insiders and people who love this stuff.

TASHJIAN: It's the Oscars of fashion. It's the most exciting night, I would say, in terms of red carpet fashion, including any kind of awards show. So, you know, of course, the theme this year is costume art and the exhibition will look at the dressed body. So the appearance of clothes across all departments of the museum.

And what I think that means is that we'll see a lot of attendees, celebrity attendees like Nicole Kidman, of course, Anna Wintour. Beyonce is also expected to attend, interpreting these kinds of themes from art history.

So perhaps they'll be replicating the togas of ancient Greece and some of the statues that are in the Met Museum. Some of them may be referencing more obscure paintings from the European art collection. So I think it'll be a sort of scavenger hunt for a lot of the folks who are watching on social media or who are watching the live stream that Vogue often presents of the event itself to sort of figure out what are these references that each of their favorite celebrities are making with their ensembles.

DEAN: Yes, it's always really interesting to see how everyone interprets this. And of course, the Met Gala is Anna Wintour's baby. So that ties in nicely with our doc.

Rachel, great to see you. Thank you so much for all that. We really appreciate it.

And be sure to watch "BEHIND THE BOB: VOGUE'S ANNA WINTOUR." It airs Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern Pacific right here on CNN. You can also watch us on the CNN app.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL ...

END