Return to Transcripts main page
CNN News Central
Acting A.G. on Comey Indictment; DeSantis Chances for 2028; Matthew Rhys is Interviewed about "Widow's Bay". Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired May 04, 2026 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:41]
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, the indictment was handed down. The former FBI director turned himself in and says he's ready to fight. Now, the acting attorney general of the United States says that the case that DOJ is building against James Comey is much more than just one photo. Todd Blanche says that this Instagram post of shells on the beach spelling out 8647, something the president says he's views -- he views as a threat on his life, is not the only evidence that Justice has. Here is what he is now saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: This is not just about a single Instagram post. This is about a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months.
If the only facts that existed was the posting of the Instagram, obviously that wouldn't have taken 11 months.
Of course, the seashells are part of that case. I mean that's what the public sees. But without a doubt, and it should be evident by the fact that it's been 11 months since the posting and the indictment, there is an investigation that takes place. And that's the result -- the result of that investigation is the indictment that was returned last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: With us now is CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson for more on this.
He's leaning on the 11 months and the length of time as to indicate there is more here. But what -- he talks about a body of evidence that they developed. What kind of body of evidence is actually going to be required to prove a case like this?
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Much more than this.
Good morning, Kate.
I'm skeptical. And the reason I'm skeptical is not so much based on what he said. He's the acting attorney general. He doesn't want to impair the rights of anyone who is coming to court. Fair.
However, why I'm skeptical is because the government forced, or they pushed for the forcing of conditions upon Comey when he went to court in terms of his release. That's the time to pronounce to the judge, your honor, you're wrong, there should be conditions. Here's why. And you lay out part and parcel of your argument as to why you believe that this person standing before you, there's a problem. That's the first reason. And that wasn't done.
Number two, this indictment was not a speaking indictment. What is that? A speaking indictment is an indictment where you list, other than bare bones facts, because that's all an indictment has to have to be fair.
BOLDUAN: Right.
JACKSON: Are bare bones facts that established there's reasonable cause to believe a crime was committed and you did it. That's all you need.
However, when the government, particularly they have someone in their crosshairs, there are indictments that we've talked about, Kate, aplenty.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
JACKSON: That have talked chapter and verse about what someone has done. Even if you look at, this is not Diddy, I know, but if you look at that indictment, I was like, wow, it read like a novel.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
JACKSON: There's no love lost for Comey. They could have embarrassed him in an indictment by talking about this.
Now, he leaned in, that is the acting attorney general. These are career prosecutors. These are career FBI agents. These are career Secret Service. But what was compelling to me, last reason I'm skeptical, like, not a shred of a fact was given, but he leaned into the grand jury. Guess what? Grand jurors are the function of the prosecutor. They indict anyone you want. The defense is not in there. Evidence is not challenged there. And so, they are, grand jurors, the judge, the jury and the executioner, prosecution is. And so, it seems to me that this, again, on its face, from what I see, it looks awfully vindictive and political and on its face I don't think it gets to trial, I think it gets dismissed.
BOLDUAN: But -- and then comes the question of, if it would get -- if this goes down, however long this -- of a trial road this would go down, what the defense of James Comey's would be, and what does that mean in terms of what his defense team has access to if the Justice Department, as the attorney general says, has built this 11 month bigger case?
JACKSON: Yes. So, let's start there, the access to information. It's way of process that the defense gets everything. BOLDUAN: Yes.
JACKSON: We don't have trials by ambush in this country. In the event that you're a defendant before the court, your counsel is entitled to everything the government has. It's called discovery.
And speaking of discovery, he also, the acting attorney general, leaned into, hey, we have materials, we've got documents, we've got witnesses. Well, what are they? They will be able to, the defense, evaluate that.
But here's what you need and here's what will be defended against. In order to establish that this is an actual threat, it has to be a pure threat. And what does a pure threat mean? It means that I intended it to be a threat. The person, Comey, it would have to be established that he, in fact, intended it to be a threat, and that a reasonable person would consider this a threat.
[09:35:01]
Well, what would the defense be to that? The defense will be that he took the post down. He indicated that he had no knowledge that it could even be construed as violence. He sat with the Secret Service for an interview, basically echoing that. We don't know specifically what he said. That the -- additionally to that, they'll talk about free speech. This is hyperbole. This is what anyone can say. And they'll also point to Amazon.
Kate, when you have an opportunity, just Google 8647. Google 8645. Google 8646. That's Biden. There's all this paraphernalia, hoodies, pens, pencils that say the same thing. This case goes nowhere. Doesn't go to trial. It's getting dismissed on motion of the defense.
BOLDUAN: Joey Jackson, here with -- here with the presentation today. It's good to see you, buddy.
JACKSON: Always. Thanks, Kate.
BOLDUAN: Thank you very much.
Coming up for us, we've got more on the breaking news from overnight. A shooting at a lake party near Oklahoma City leaving at least a dozen people injured. What the police are now saying about the gunman.
And Emmy winning actor Matthew Rhys is starring in a new Apple TV series that merges horror with humor in only the way he could. It's called "Widows Bay," and he's here to talk about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:43]
BERMAN: All right, this morning, heady times for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The Republican has pushed through a redistricting effort in the state of Florida that could help Republicans win four more U.S. House seats. So, with success like that, surely it has raised his national profile, perhaps boosted his chances at national ambitions surely.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is here.
So, has it?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes, I -- no. No. No. No. I mean, look, I think Ron DeSantis will run if there's a lane, but right now there really isn't a lane. Chance to be the 2028 Republican nominee, of course, according to the Kalshi prediction market. On January 1st it was four percent. Well, that looks like the same number on the right side of your screen, folks. It's four percent. It's basically the same. He's running fifth. Fifth right now to be the Republican nominee according to Kalshi prediction market, behind J.D. Vance, behind Marco Rubio, behind Tucker Carlson, behind Donald Trump Jr., for goodness sake. Running fifth and only a four percent chance, that's not really a lane.
BERMAN: OK. So, not the prediction markets, not the national polls, which we know don't necessarily matter in primaries. What about New Hampshire? Because that's what really matters.
ENTEN: You know, as a young man, as I was a young man and I went to state up in the great -- went to school up in the granite state, you know I have an affinity for the New Hampshire primary. But look, even here, you know, choice for the 2028 Republican nominee in New Hampshire, Ron DeSantis. You know, in late 2025, six percent. Six percent of likely Republican voters were choosing him. Now it's that same six percent.
Running fourth. Again, this is not first. This is not second. This is not even third. It's fourth place. Running behind J.D. Vance. Running behind Marco Rubio. Running behind Nikki Haley, who, of course, came in second back in 2024. Ron DeSantis, of course, ran in 2024, and that bid, of course, imploded.
At this point, you look at the polling, you look at the Kalshi prediction markets, you go, if he were to run, there's just not a lane. And I couldn't even say that that run would implode because it wouldn't really be anywhere to start out with.
BERMAN: You know, it may just be there's not a lot of space right now, not a lot of oxygen outside of J.D. Vance --
ENTEN: Yes.
BERMAN: In Republican circles when you're thinking about running. So, that's the idea of maybe running for president. But what about interest in DeSantis in general?
ENTEN: Yes. Again, you might think, you know, OK, you know, we pushed through that redistricting plan. Maybe the Google searches are up. They're actually down one percent this week versus last week. I was looking at Sunday and Monday. So, just isn't that sustained level, right? You're talking about a Republican Party in which there are a number of bigwigs who are looking to run. We're talking about the vice president of the United States very likely to run. We're talking about the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, of course, ran all the way back in 2016. There just isn't that lane at this point.
So, Ron DeSantis may want to run. I'm just not quite sure he can run.
BERMAN: What about his political legacy in Florida at least?
ENTEN: Yes, you know, if you're looking for the Republican nomination for governor come this year, Byron Donalds looks like the very likely choice to be the Republican nominee for governor. And if you know anything about Florida politics, Byron Donalds and Ron DeSantis haven't exactly gotten along over the years.
BERMAN: I mean, that's so interesting, right? Because on top of everything else, you would think at least he would leave behind a political operation, a machine that would follow in his footsteps.
ENTEN: Uh-uh. No.
BERMAN: All right, Harry Enten, great to see you this morning.
ENTEN: Great to see you. You always leave a legacy.
BERMAN: We got a lot of news. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:48:38]
BERMAN: A brand-new series on Apple TV takes us to Widow's Bay, an island town off the coast of New England with no wi-fi, spotty cell service, not to mention unthinkable danger and a quirky mayor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was talking to the guy on the ferry and he said something odd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said, bad things happen here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Arthur, there is something about these seafaring towns. The superstitions. Their tall tales. Maybe it's that stories help pass a long day at sea. I don't know. But I find it charming myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there cannibalism?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the article behind you, forced inside the church, they immediately turn to cannibalism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think that's right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, it's a framed article inside the historical society. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You know, these stories get so exaggerated
over time. I mean, look, was there a deadly storm in 1786? Yes. Did a group of people get trapped inside a church? Apparently so. Did they immediately turn to cannibalism? No, that took four days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, there was cannibalism?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I'd ask you in return, Arthur, is, what town doesn't have a checkered past, you know, if we go back far enough in our country's timeline, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[09:50:05]
BOLDUAN: Right.
BERMAN: Really, it's the celebration of journalism and cannibalism and politics, right?
Emmy Award winning actor Matthew Rhys, who plays Mayor Tom Loftis, is here now. We should also mention Matthew was nominated for a SAG Award and a Golden Globe for his performance in "The Beast in Me."
BOLDUAN: (INAUDIBLE).
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Which was terrifying.
BERMAN: Which is terrifying also.
MATTHEW RHYS, PLAYS MAYOR TOM LOFTIS, APPLE TV'S "WIDOW'S BAY": I thought you were going to say terrible.
SIDNER: No, terrifying.
(CROSS TALK)
BERMAN: Glad you're finally in something good. And here with us.
RHYS: Nice to be also. Yes. So, thank you.
BERMAN: So, this show, the "Widow's Bay," is so quirky and scary and fun.
RHYS: Yes.
BERMAN: Just tell us about the whole thing.
RHYS: I honestly don't know where to begin because people say, describe it to us. And I think it's hard to kind of pigeonhole. It comes from the crazy brain of the incredible Katie Dippold, who wrote "Ghostbusters" and wrote for "Parks and Rec." And I think if you take "Parks and Rec," "Ghostbusters," a little bit of "Twin Peaks," a touch of "The Office," its -- there's a little bit of everything in there. It's, you know, people are saying it's a comedy horror. I don't know. I always said, Katie, if Stephen King and Joan Rivers had a baby, it would be Katie Dippold.
BOLDUAN: That's amazing.
SIDNER: That's a really good way to put it. But how do you do it? Because I don't generally like horror films or things that make me freaked out, especially right before bed.
RHYS: Yes.
SIDNER: But this one, I was -- found myself laughing. And I have to tell you, your character kind of reminded me of someone at this table.
BERMAN: Thanks. I appreciate that.
RHYS: Oh. Oh. Let's play the guessing game.
BERMAN: It was the cannibalism, right?
BOLDUAN: Yes. Immediately. The cannibalism.
RHYS: Oh, yes, of course. Yes. Yes.
Yes, it's good. It's that fine line. And that's what the scripts. I think she does beautifully is kind of, you know, takes you on the roller coaster. And it's really that double sided coin of kind of fear and almost hysteria in the comedy that kind of, you know, flips on a dime. And she does it magically.
BOLDUAN: You've been in quite -- I mean we mentioned "The Beast in Me." I mean you've done a lot of like kind of thrillery (ph), scary stuff recent -- of recent.
RHYS: Yes. Is it -- is it scary to act in a horror movie? Like, do you get scared while you guys are doing this? I would think I'd be terrified on set all over the place.
BOLDUAN: There were a few -- there were a few moments where I was -- I was kind of brazenly going, oh, it's going to be fine, and then found myself going, oh, this is quite scary. You know, I'm quite scared. Yes.
But, you know, I think, looking after three children, you just -- you spend your life going, you know, you just go like, oh, the kids are finally saying, thank God the world is seeing who you really are. Shut up. Yes.
So, yes, at times it's just like -- it's just like, you feel like you're playing the kind of -- the boogey monster who's been chasing the kids for the last 18 years.
BERMAN: So, if you want scary, try young kids.
RHYS: Yes, watch -- yes, watch this. BERMAN: It did occur to me, when Kate was asking that. So, I -- I'm
not all the way through, and I have no idea, I mean I have no idea what's going to happen and what's going on.
RHYS: Neither do I. Yes.
BERMAN: But seriously, as an actor though, and you have to know, I'm sure you read to the end.
RHYS: I did.
BERMAN: How do you handle that? How do you handle being Mayor Loftus in episode one and two, when you've clearly got like so much left to discover?
RHYS: Well, you know, Katie kind of mapped out exactly what was going to be happening to him over the course of ten episodes. And what's -- what I found incredible is, it's a kind of -- you know, she puts humanity under the microscope as much as the kind of supernatural. So, there's a beautiful, very human element to all the characters in this. You kind of really go with them on a -- on a more human journey. So, it's very relatable as much as there is the supernatural element.
SIDNER: OK. So, I did not know this until I started watching, because I've seen you in all these other films. I didn't know you were from Wales.
RHYS: I -- completely (ph).
SIDNER: And -- I'm sorry. I had to mention. My great grandmother's from Wales.
RHYS: No.
SIDNER: She is.
RHYS: Do you know where?
SIDNER: This is little -- I have no freaking idea.
RHYS: Do you think they know each other.
SIDNER: But I have been to Wales.
RHYS: Yes.
SIDNER: I don't think the families know each other. But I am curious because Cardiff is a seaside town.
RHYS: Yes.
SIDNER: Like, did you pull some things from it?
RHYS: Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, I mean 70 percent of Wales is coastal.
SIDNER: Yes. RHYS: And populated with these small islands, you know, villages. So, this was like home from home for me. This was -- this was nothing new. So, yes, there was a lot of drawing on. And, you know, we're the land of myth and legend. So, this is second nature.
BOLDUAN: But wait, there's more. This actually -- I didn't even know you were going to bring it up because I was Googling you and I saw this very funny video that you took part of. It was very tongue in cheek, congratulating, you know, America on its 250th birthday. But saying, like, you owe it to Wales.
RHYS: Oh, yes.
BOLDUAN: And I had them -- they cut a bit of it. Listen to this.
RHYS: Oh, boy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RHYS: Where to begin. Some say that the United States was discovered by a Welshman, Madog, way, way before Columbus. Frank Lloyd Wright, one of your greatest architects. Griffith Jenkins Griffith, one of the true pioneers of Los Angeles. Camp David, named after a patron saint. The liquor you drink, Jack Daniels. Let's talk about your Declaration of Independence and how many indeed signed it with Welsh heritage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: I mean don't even get me started. I was -- I was fascinating too.
RHYS: Oh, most of that's made up. No, no, no, no, that is true.
[09:55:01]
BOLDUAN: But it's fun.
RHYS: It's, you know, the small -- I mean, you know, the small places shout loudest. So, I always think. So, you know, we lay claim to kind of everything and everyone.
SIDNER: Everything.
RHYS: It's like, yes, of course we founded America, or there's only three million of us.
(CROSS TALK)
BERMAN: Thank you for the series and thank you for America.
SIDNER: (INAUDIBLE).
BERMAN: We owe you.
RHYS: Well, you're very welcome.
SIDNER: We owe a great gratitude to you and Wales.
BERMAN: You're a great guest.
RHYS: Enjoy your big birthday on the Fourth of July.
BERMAN: Matthew Rhys, thank you so much for being with us.
SIDNER: Thank you so much.
BERMAN: The show, of course, is terrific. "Widow's Bay" streaming now on Apple TV.
BOLDUAN: It really was delightful.
And then there's this. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a break from politics over the weekend to hit the turntables. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted a video of Rubio with the caption, "our great secretary of state D.J.'s weddings too. Here he is in action tonight at a family wedding. No word on his future availability for booking, but does this man really need yet another job in this administration?"
And it is that most wonderful time of the year once again, yes, when we get to say, May the 4th be with you, aka Star Wars Day, aka John Berman's favorite holiday.
And for fans of the franchise, it also begins the countdown to a highly anticipated release of the first "Star Wars" film in seven years, "Star Wars" something or other.
BERMAN: We played you at like 1.5 speed for those last two reasons right there. And I love it.
Thank you for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
