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Ted Turner, CNN Founder and Philanthropic Pioneer, Dies at 87; U.S. Military Looks underground to Protect Wounded From Drones; Interview with Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA): Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Faces Lawmakers' Questions Over Ties to Epstein. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 06, 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]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: He's the man who pioneered the 24-7 cable news landscape and today we're learning that media legend and founder of CNN, Ted Turner, has died at the age of 87.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Before Turner revolutionized the way Americans got their news, he dipped his toes in the world of sports, investing and acquiring the rights to the Atlanta Braves baseball games and eventually buying the team. Turner would also become owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and NHL's Atlanta Thrashers.

Joining us now is a man who knows all about the significant impact Ted Turner had in the world of sports, Hall of Fame sports broadcaster and host of Inside the NBA, which had become a major success on TNT before moving to ESPN, Ernie Johnson Jr. Ernie, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. Talk to us about your relationship with Ted and how you are remembering him today.

ERNIE JOHNSON JR., HOST, INSIDE THE NBA: Well, it's kind of, I would say it's a melancholy kind of day here. It's gray, the skies have turned gray here in Atlanta and it's a day of reflection really for me because I think back to 1989 and that was the first day I ever walked onto the Turner Studios property and it was just the mansion that's down here. We have this sprawling campus now, but I remember walking in there and saying this is -- so this is Ted's place and now I'm part of it.

And so it's that kind of -- it's that kind of a feeling, you know, it's, it's been a long time since he's had, you know, direct involvement with the company and, you know, the way things go these days with acquisitions and mergers and all that stuff. But deep down in here, I'll always be Turner.

KEILAR: Yes, we hear you, Ernie. And he played a big role in your whole family. I think it's worth noting your father was actually the announcer for the Atlanta Braves, which was a much more humble institution when Ted Turner bought it, right?

And ultimately created the Superstation TBS. Can you tell us more about what he did for the Braves? JOHNSON JR.: Yes, well, I think that what he did back then really has set the standard for what we're doing these days, how we watch live sports. I mean, it was his vision to, to say, hey, let's -- number one, he bought the Braves so we could put the Braves on TV. So it was programming time. OK. So there was an agenda there because he wasn't a big baseball guy. But the Braves were on TBS.

And then it was like, well, we use the satellite to beam them all over the country and the Braves became America's team. And so my dad is one of the announcers became known, you know, from coast to coast because the folks would just watch the Braves, even if the team wasn't that good. But it was like, wow, we get to watch somebody else's team. That's awesome.

So he really was a pioneer and a groundbreaker in that regard. And then I guess to prove that he was, you know, a baseball guy to an extent, he was actually the manager for a day, you know, he took over for Dave Bristol and put the uniform on.

And I think, as I recall, he was like, he even tried to, you know, some tobacco because the players. And so, so he was doing that. And he also made, he made the games fun.

There was a little bit of a Bill Veeck quality, the old Chicago owner who used to do all kinds of crazy stuff. And I remember there was a contest between a few guys who could roll a baseball up the first baseline to first base and win that race. And Ted came out with all kinds of scrapes on his nose, but he won the race.

And that was the kind of guy Ted was from, you know, from America's Cup as a sailor when he was -- he became legendary to anything really that he wanted to get involved in. He wanted to win in and he did.

SANCHEZ: What's your favorite personal memory with Ted as someone who watched, you know, this project grow to the heights that it's reached from the inside?

JOHNSON JR.: Well, I mean, there were a few and I don't want to give you the impression. Oh yes, Ted and I were tight. We hung out all the time.

[14:35:00]

No, but I can remember being at Braves games and sitting down there right behind Ted and Jimmy Carter for Braves playoff games. And the vibe there was, was unbelievable. The Goodwill games, you know, it was his version of the Olympics sitting on a beach in Australia with Ted doing a segment there about what the Goodwill games meant to him and how they were continuing. That was back in, in 2001.

And then there was just this very human side of him. You'd see him leave the ballpark and just your ordinary car. He'd be caught in traffic just like everybody else.

And, you know, in those days when our offices were at CNN center, it wasn't uncommon to see him and Jane Fonda walking through the atrium of CNN center, just like there were anybody else. So he was an every man to me, but a guy who had this intense drive. I thought -- I always considered him an underdog, you guys, that he was going to do these things nobody expected or -- and he would do it with this gut feeling that it was the right thing to do.

And that he would consider all of the options and, and all the analytics, and then his gut would tell him what to do. And it served him well.

SANCHEZ: And no doubt that fight in him, that spark in him will be his legacy. Ernie Johnson, Jr. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. We appreciate your time.

JOHNSON JR.: No, thank you guys for having me. I really appreciate it. And you know what I'm going to do tonight before, before we go on the air, my dinner tonight will be a bison burger from Ted's Montana grill.

KEILAR: I love that. I love that, Ernie. All right, Ernie, thank you so much. We'll be right back.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: The emergence of drones has been a game changer on the battlefield from Ukraine to the Middle East. And now the U.S. military is looking at new ways to keep soldiers safe as the landscape of modern warfare evolves.

CNN senior -- newly anointed senior national security reporter Haley Britsky, you went to Fort Hood, Texas to get this inside look at how army medics are actually preparing for future conflicts. What did you see there?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Brianna. So first medical brigade at Fort Hood, they were working out of these decommissioned nuclear tunnels underneath Fort Hood. So these were huge, tall ceilings as part of this exercise.

And the intent was essentially to practice if there was a, if there was an opportunity in a future conflict to go underground -- we're seeing the Ukrainians do this a lot in their fight against Russia -- how to do that, how to perform these kinds of medical, you know, surgeries, different kinds of medical care, in a way that will protect medical personnel and the wounded service members that they are taking care of.

So it was broadly, the exercise was kind of meant to see how do we best do this in an era with drone warfare where drones can reach farther. They can kind of bring about more damage to medical personnel than maybe the U.S. has seen in conflicts in the past.

KEILAR: Because just to be clear, if they're doing this normally in some kind of outdoor hospital or even something improvised where you can even tell where they are, they're in deep danger. BRITZKY: That's right. So the commander of first medical brigade made very clear, you know, that we've been used to over the last few decades, having these very huge sprawling field hospitals, that have been relatively safe or an expectation of safety. And that that's no longer the case. But now they have to distribute that field hospital up, break it up into smaller pieces so that the enemy can't target it and do extreme damage to the entire thing.

And so it's all these little things that they're trying to work through of how in the future. And really right now, we've seen as a source familiar said that in the fight against Iran, they were already having challenges, evacuating U.S. personnel who were wounded to launch dual regional medical center in Germany because of the drone threat that Iran was posing. So this is already something U.S. troops are facing and having to think through, but certainly something that these officials are saying is going to be a thing in the future.

KEILAR: Really fascinating Haley. Thank you so much -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Right now, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is on Capitol Hill facing questions over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Files released by the Justice Department earlier this year included this picture of Lutnick on Epstein's private Island back in 2012. Years after Lutnick claimed to have cut him off. Acknowledging in his own words that Epstein was a quote, serial sex offender. Oversight chairman James Comer spoke about that moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY), CHAIRMAN, OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: I mean, I feel like that Lutnick's been very transparent. He came in voluntarily. I said before this thing started, the only thing that I had seen that Lutnick did wrong was, wasn't 100 percent truthful on the brief visit to the Island with his family.

He corrected that in his opening statement. And you know, we'll see, we'll continue our investigation. And if we find that there were any misstatements by Lutnick, it's a felony to lie to Congress and he'll be held accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We should note Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Let's get some perspective now with democratic Congressman of Virginia, Suhas Subramanyam, a member of the oversight committee. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.

REP. SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM (D-VA), HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: First, what did you learn from the commerce secretary?

SUBRAMANYAM: I mean, he doubled down on the dishonesty. He said, yes, I met with him in 2005 with my wife. I went to his home.

And then after that, I didn't meet with him in the same room again. Yes, he was in the same room with him twice. He went to his Island. He brought his family to the Island. And so he was contradicting himself. He was nervous. He was evasive. He said that he didn't know why he went to the Island.

[14:45:00]

He doesn't remember why he went to the Island in the first place. And so if we hadn't found those e-mails showing that he'd been to the Island, if he hadn't found those pictures, I don't think he would have ever told us that he went to the Island. He's very evasive. I think he needs to resign.

SANCHEZ: Do you have evidence that would disqualify him as commerce secretary -- evidence of wrongdoing?

SUBRAMANYAM: I think being dishonest with Congress is wrongdoing and that is disqualifying in and of itself. He clearly lied to the American people on that podcast he did, where he said he never saw -- Howard Lutnick, where he never, he never saw Jeffrey Epstein ever again.

And yet he admitted that he saw him twice afterwards. He doubled down on that today. He said, once again, I wasn't in the same room as him, but being in the same room with someone, even if there's other people in there is the same thing.

And so, he was trying to find the word I to a different points. It was a very confusing interview and certainly disqualifying in my mind.

SANCHEZ: So your response to chairman Comer that we just heard there is that there should be further steps taken.

SUBRAMANYAM: Oh, I think so. I think he was dishonest with us. The reality is we gave him a chance to say, OK, you know, I misspoke before, or I lied before I was, you know, exaggerating because I was on a podcast, but he didn't say that. instead he doubled down saying that what he said was true.

He doubled down on saying that he never saw Jeffrey Epstein ever again, but then he admitted he saw him two more times and he even went to the Island and he doesn't remember why he went to the Island.

SANCHEZ: Just to be clear, he, he did not say today in front of Congress that he didn't see Jeffrey Epstein after 2005, right?

SUBRAMANYAM: He said that, yes, I saw him two more times, but I was never in the same room with him. I Howard Lutnick, what didn't put myself in the situation to be in the same room with him, which was really confusing, right? Because he was in the same room with him.

SANCHEZ: It's odd because he's on this person's private Island.

SUBRAMANYAM: Yes. And we asked him, why did you go to the private Island if he thought he was disgusting or gross? And he says, he doesn't remember. He doesn't remember why he brought his children and his wife and his friends to the Island. When he visited the Island. SANCHEZ: You'd mentioned that podcast in which he'd described some of his relations with Epstein. This was from 2025 as a New York post podcast. And he said that in 2005 Epstein showed him and his wife a massage room and his Manhattan townhouse also making a suggestive comment to them -- Epstein did. Lutnick said to the podcast, quote, that's what his MO was, you know, get a massage, get a massage. And what happened in that room, I assume, was on video.

This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever. Blackmail people, that's how he made his money. Lutnick said later in the podcast that he had no knowledge of a trade for these videos, that this is his assumption.

I wonder what evidence you may have seen what Lutnick said about this, but what evidence you may have seen that Epstein profited from having dirt on powerful people.

SUBRAMANYAM: We asked Lutnick about this, why he would say that. And he says he was simply on a podcast speculating. He called everything else in that podcast speculation.

And so we asked him, what was the speculation based on? And he said, oh, just based on things I'd heard. And so we asked whether he still thinks that blackmail was involved with Jeffrey Epstein blackmailing other people.

He said, no, I don't think that anymore. And we said, why? It's because the administration says it's not blackmail anymore.

So he's clearly getting talking points from the administration on what to be saying at this point. He was very well coached, I will say. But then when we kept pressing him, that's when he got nervous. He got evasive and he started, you know, trying to redefine the word I. And so it was a very, very confusing interview and dishonest in my mind.

SANCHEZ: So this was not taped. How do you think that impacts how the American people are going to receive this? Because they effectively have to take your word over the word of Chairman Comer, who's saying that he clarified the misstatements in the past and whatnot.

How do you think the public is set to receive that?

SUBRAMANYAM: I now understand why Republicans didn't want this taped, because if the president himself had seen this, he would want Howard Lutnick out. He was absolutely -- he looked awful. I mean, he just kept spinning himself in circles.

He just didn't know what to say at certain points, except that he couldn't remember. And so it was very embarrassing. I understand why now, but the American people deserve the transparency.

House Republicans continue to try to get in the way of actually doing a real investigation. This is one example, not taping this investigation.

SANCHEZ: Before we go, Congressman, with a very short amount of time, you're set to hear from Attorney General -- former Attorney General Pam Bondi at the end of the month. What do you plan to ask her?

SUBRAMANYAM: Well, first of all, we want that taped. We want that on the record. We want her being sworn in because that's what the subpoena said.

But the reality is, she has a lot of questions to answer about why there's so many files withheld right now, two and a half million files. I want her conversations with the president were like to lead to the decision not to release the files in the first place.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, thank you so much for the time.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. Stay with CNN.

[14:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: As the war with Iran continues, it reminds us about the demands that are placed on service members here in the U.S. And as they serve and sacrifice, so do their families, the backbone of the U.S. military. So who supports them? Well, sometimes it's extended family, sometimes it's clergy.

[14:55:00]

And at Fort Bragg, that comfort often comes from Sapper. He is an eight-year-old Alaskan Husky who was just named the USO Canine Volunteer of the Year. Sapper is a familiar sight around the base, driving around in his human's Jeep, wearing his trademark sunglasses and beret. Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan announcing the win on Instagram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CESAR MILLAN, DOG WHISPERER: Congratulations to Sapper of Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Sapper, thank you. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, the comfort, the connection and support you provide have made a meaningful impact in so many within the military community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And we're joined now by a very good boy, Sapper, who is looking especially cool. He's also with his human, Michael D'Arcy. Michael, congrats to you and Sapper.

This is a really big honor for them to zero in on you guys like this. And we should note that Sapper supports roughly 13,000 service members and families each month. Can you tell us a little bit about what his day and what your day-to-day looks like?

MICHAEL D'ARCY, OWNER OF SAPPER, USO CANINE OF THE YEAR: Yes, ma'am. Well, we start here at the USO at Fort Bragg in the Soldier Support Center about nine in the morning. We usually go to about two in the afternoon.

And he roughly sees anywhere from three to 500 soldiers a day. Monday through Friday, we work with the soldiers here at the Support Center.

KEILAR: And what do you hear from those soldiers and other folks that he works with? What do they say about having his companionship?

D'ARCY: It's unbelievable, really, because he usually greets them in the morning. He shakes everybody's hands, it seems like, when they walk in the door. He always sits on somebody's lap.

He'll pick a soldier out that probably has dogs because he can smell, you know, that they have dogs and whatever. And he'll go down, shake a few people's hands, and then he'll turn around and jump in somebody's lap and lay there. And sometimes they fall asleep.

Sometimes he sits there for a half an hour with them, and they just pat him and rub him. And he goes around to the room, you know, here at the Soldier Support Center at the USO, and he just sees everybody. And he just makes their day.

It just brings a smile to everybody's face. You know, you can really just look around the room and you'll see him as soon as they see him, especially in his gray and his glasses.

KEILAR: Yes, it's very, very fun. I mean, he stands out so much. And it's serious work, obviously, what they're doing in Fort Bragg, especially right now, the demands on the soldiers there.

A lot of them -- a number of them mobilized at this point in time. There's something about a dog, right, that people, I think, it allows them to kind of open up to getting something they need. What is it about Sapper that draws him to them?

D'ARCY: I think, first, it's the way he looks. I mean, when they see him, it just brings a smile to their face. And then he'll, you know, obviously, he walks up to them or comes up to him because he's such a friendly dog.

And he feels when somebody's, you know, having a bad day or if something's going on, it's like he can really tell and sense it. And that's how he kind of picks out people. You know, even with the soldiers that deploy, you know, we go and see them as they're deploying with family members and the kids and families.

And he'll just go around and, you know, we'll let him go. And he goes around, he'll find somebody. And, you know, sometimes they're having a really bad day and they'll hug him and they're crying sometimes.

And sometimes the little kids, you know, their dad or mom's getting ready to leave to be deployed. And he just really is a big comfort to them. And there's nothing like an animal that, you know, especially if you have animals at home, that you're leaving if you're a soldier or a family member.

So it's pretty neat and humbling watching him do what he does.

KEILAR: And he can't do what he does without you. You can't do what you do without him. You're an Army veteran yourself. Can you talk a little bit about your experience and what led you to being Sapper's Human?

D'ARCY: Yes. Well, he kind of picked me out when I found him. He was a friend of the family and he's time to take a nap.

I found him. I went to a kennel and Sapper kind of picked me out. He fell asleep on my foot. I picked him up. Put him on my shoulder. He was about seven weeks old and he literally started sucking my neck. And it's like everybody around me kind of got emotional about it because he literally picked me out.

And I had just lost a dog that I had for 12 years to cancer. And I'm by myself here in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, where I live. So it was a big thing to replace my other dog and Sapper filled that void.

KEILAR: Our thanks to Michael D'Arcy and Sapper for today ...

END